Soul Exorcist
by Lifehousefanatic2011
Summary: Mephisto decides to start a new training initiative, inviting the Academy mesiters to train with Yukio and Shura. Some personalities clash and patience is pushed to the max, and then an even bigger situations begins to unveil itself to the True Cross as two new students join their ranks. T for language, mostly Rin, Soul and Shura's
1. Exwires and Academy students?

So this is going to be a crossover between Soul Eater and Blue exorcist, hope you like. :)

"Brother, what are we doing here?" The green hamster upon the clown's enormous hat asked.

"Seeing an old friend." Mephisto smiled in a way that his brother Amaimon immediately knew he was up to something, but he didn't know what quite yet.

"Who do you know all the way out here, brother?"

"Why the very founder of this Academy! All schools know each other," he gave a wink to the hamster leaning over the edge of his hat to look at him.

"What is so special about this one?"

"The Academy and The Cram School have similar goals in mind, protecting the world from evil. There's a particular professor here that I think would be highly interested in our younger blue flame spewing brother."

"Ah. Can we go sight seeing while we're here?" Mephisto's eyebrow twitched, all his brother seemed to care about when they went places was sight seeing. Mephisto, having been around earth as long as he had, long since lost the interest in seeing monuments and tourist attractions.

"I'm afraid we don't have the time for that today. I'd give you a key to come here by yourself but you'd probably destroy the whole city for fun."

"That does sound like fun!"

"No. You kill anyone I will kill you." The hamster sighed and nodded; Mephisto let out a toothy grin. "This is going to be exciting!"

"Tell me again why I'm here," Stein asked from his rolling chair in an incredibly uninterested voice.

"Yes, yes I called you and Spirit here for a reason," every time Stein heard that goofy voice it made him want to roll his eyes at the powerful grim reaper for behaving with such childish antics.

"Then what is it?" He asked as he adjusted his screw and lit another cigarette.

"An old friend is coming to initiate a new phase of training for our young meisters and weapons."

"Could you be any more cryptic with that?" Spirit questioned impatiently. He didn't want to be torn away from his dear Maka to babysit Sir-Dissects-A-Lot on what was probably going to be a silly training session.

"Well, he's here. So you can shut up and listen if you want more details, or you can sit over there and sulk about having a job to do," Lord Death offered. Spirit crossed his arms and sat down next to Stein at the little tea table in the Death Room.

"If it's a training session, your daughter is likely to be there anyway Spirit. She's a hard worker I'd be shocked to see her pass up an opportunity to become a stronger, better fighter," Stein added. Spirit could hear footsteps coming towards the Death Room. Even Stein was baffled when the clown walked into view in his flashy purple get up.

"Good ta see you again John Faust." Lord Death greeted. The strange clown took off his hat, revealing a large purple curl defying gravity on top of his head, as well as his pointy tipped ears.

"The pleasure is all mine Lord Death." Spirit could already tell he wasn't going to like this guy. He was already acting suspicious and, like Lord Death, he didn't seem like one to take anything seriously.

"Would you please explain to these two your idea, Spirit has been complaining about it all day and I just told him an hour ago." Spirit glared at Lord Death's comment but didn't say anything against it.

"I would like a small group to join my Cram School boot camp. I have two instructors assigned to the task that will look after and train the kids."

"What does this have to do with me?" Spirit asked.

"Well I can't just have a bunch of my best meisters and weapons running about unsupervised, so I will be sending you and Stein to look after them and help the Cram School in any way you can."

"Is there a reason you are inviting these meisters and weapons?" Stein asked.

"None whatsoever," Mephisto said as he smiled widely. The lenses of his glasses flared at the obvious lie. He clearly had another motive, was it going to put his students in danger? Was that the real reason Spirit and I were attached to this trial training?

"Sounds good to me!" Lord Death said loudly, making a peace sign with his over sized hand.

"Then we shall be going!" Mephisto announced.

"How are we going to get there, it's a long flight from here to True Cross Academy," Stein asked.

"Oh you'll see," Mephisto smiled. Stein adjusted his screw again, thinking to himself 'this is going to be a pain in the ass.'

"We're here Lord Death!" Maka said as she ran into the Death Room, followed by Soul, Tsubaki, Black Star, Kid, Patty, Liz, Crona, and a loud Ragnarok.

"Good to see ya, good to see ya!" Lord Death said.

"What the hell do you need us for so early?" Soul grumbled. He was extremely pissed off he had to get up at the butt ass crack of dawn and that he didn't even know why he was called in the first place.

"Down boy," Maka said holding his shirt collar so he couldn't go off on Lord Death.

"Who's this clown?" Black Star asked, pointing to Mephisto.

"This is an old friend, John Faust. He runs True Cross Academy, a school that doubles as a Cram School for training exorcists."

"Exorcists?" Tsubaki asked quietly.

"They protect the world from evil demons. Much like you do with the souls that have become Kishin eggs," Lord Death answered.

"Why do you have a hamster on your hat?" Black Star asked.

"That is not important right now blue haired child."

"So what is the director of an exorcist school want with us?" Kid, with his weapons the Thompson sisters at his side, asked his father.

"It's quite simple really!" Mephisto interjected. Kid raised his eyebrow at the pointy eared clown. "I am proposing a new training initiative. My students are attending a week long weapons training boot camp taught by our most powerful and skilled exorcists."

"So it's just like extra training with our weapons?" Maka asked.

"Exactly." Mephisto said as he nodded.

"I'm such a big star already who needs more training right, Tsubaki!" Black Star shouted confidently.

"It couldn't hurt to teach you how to fight safer you know Black Star," Tsubaki offered shyly.

"You know Black Star, it would be a chance to show off your big moves to people outside the Academy," Kid said, knowing Black Star would go if it meant he would receive attention.

"They think we are going to learn from them but they are going to end up learning from me!" Black Star said, laughing obnoxiously. Maka put her gloved hand on her forehead. 'This is going to be a long week,' she thought.

"It's settled then!" Mephisto announced.

"What?! No one settled anything, clown!" Soul shouted.

"Soul be quiet," Maka scolded.

"Eins, zwei, drei!" Mephisto said, triggering a puff of smoke that when dissipated unveiled he was a small white terrier dog with a green hamster on his head. "Now then, we must be off!" Mephisto trotted out of the Death Room, followed by an irritated Soul, an eager Maka, shy Tsubaki, unimpressed Kid, distracted Patty, confused Liz, quiet Stein, hesitant Crona, complaining Ragnarok, relieved Spirit, and bolstering and confident Black Star.

As soon as they had all exited the Death Room Mephisto stopped walking. He dropped a key on the ground and looked up at Kid.

"Put this in the door there," Mephisto said.

"This won't work on that door," Kid said, not making a move towards the key on the floor.

"I assure you it will do what I need it to do."

"My father built this Academy I know what keys go to what doors. This does not go there," Kid retorted shortly.

"It's not just any key, Kid," Stein said patiently.

"Ah he gets it," Mephisto said.

"It's a unique kind of key. Rather than just unlocking a door it takes you to the door that it does go to." Stein finished. Kid raised his eyebrow at the stitch decorated teacher but bent to pick up the key anyway. He put it in the lock of what he knew to be a storage closet and turned the key expecting nothing to happen. He was shocked when the key turned and the door knob yielded.

"This is a magic key," Kid mumbled, his yellow eyes studying the small key he pulled from the lock.

"Open the door kid," Mephisto said knowingly. Without a word Kid turned the knob and opened the door. All the young Academy students stared in amazement, even Spirit gasped at the sight. "To answer your question Stein, through this door is how we shall arrive at True Cross Academy!" Stein lit a cigarette as they walked through the door and entered Japan.

**Alright that's all I have right now. Hope you liked!**


	2. Crossing the worlds, introductions?

"Oy!" Rin shouted from down the hall. "Kuro, it's food time!"

"That is one of the students that will be joining you in the camp, Rin Okumura," Mephisto said. "Well, down the hall you will find the kitchen where Rin is preparing dinner. Ms. Krigakure and Mr. Okumura will show you your sleeping arrangements later. Eins, zwei dre!" And a puff of smoke went up and Mephisto was gone.

"What's up with that guy, just dumping us at the front door," Soul muttered. Crona was huddled behind Maka and Black Star just started walking down the hall.

"Where are you going Black Star?" Maka asked.

"The clown said food was this way," he answered.

"FOOD?!" Soul yelled, and suddenly Black Star and Soul were racing down the hall. They realized they passed the kitchen and doubled back, and then they were gone. Maka sighed, 'those two are such boys,' she thought. Ragnorak materialized from Crona's back at the mention of food.

"Did he say food? Let's go you pansy I'm starving! Hopefully it's better than the cow's cooking," Ragnorak said, glaring at Maka with his wide white crossed eyes.

"You don't have to eat it you know!" Maka shouted in his face, waving her fist at the black form.

"At least Tsubaki's is filling. Still isn't very tasty though," Ragnorak commented.

"I guess we should head on then," Spirit said, taking the lead of the group and walking towards the kitchen. As they walked, a black cat ran underneath their feet and darted into the kitchen.

"What was that?" Liz asked.

"Kitty!" Patty shouted.

"It appeared to be a Cat Sidhe judging by it's split tail."

"Cat Sidhe?" Tsubaki asked.

"It's a demon that possesses cats. I suppose since we're in a exorcism school we'll be dealing with quite a few troublesome demons." Kid said. They all walked into the kitchen and took in the students already sitting about. A pink haired boy, a boy with a skunk stripe, a girl with small eyebrows and long purple pigtails, a little blonde girl with a little greenman on her shoulder, a bald child with glasses, the cat sidhe on the table eating from a plate, and a scantily clad pink hair woman drinking atop a table. Maka's eyebrow twitched angrily when she saw Soul and Black Star had fallen on the floor with nosebleeds.

"Really Soul?" Maka said critically.

"I just... wasn't prepared is all... I'm cool," Soul managed to get out.

"Oy!" The blue haired boy said as he emerged from the kitchen. Maka's back went ramrod straight when she saw the tail flicking behind him.

"What's wrong with that boy? I don't know how to deal with a boy with a tail... I wanna go home," Crona whined.

"Shut up you pansy they said we get food!" Ragnorak countered. Rin looked at his tail, not sure what all the fuss was about.

"Alright I guess introductions are in order," Spirit said.

"I'm Rin!" He said waving. He pointed to the skunk stripe man, "That's Bon, he looks grouchy but he's actually a pretty good guy," Bon waved his fist at Rin and he responded with a wink. "This is Konekomaru," he said gesturing to the bald child, "and the pink haired one is Shima, he can't stand insects, it's actually pretty funny when a moth flies in here and-"

"Rin!" Shima complained.

"Haha sorry.. This is Izumo, but we call her eyebrows."

"Only you do that Rin and I don't like weird nicknames!" The pigtailed girl scolded.

"This is Shiemi," he said pointing to the blonde girl, "and this is Nee," he said gesturing to the greenman on her shoulder.

"Nice to meet you," Shiemi said softly.

"And the one with the tattoos on her stomach and chest is Shura, she's not very nice," Rin whispered the last part.

"Only cause you're such a pain in my ass bwahaha!" Shura giggled drunkenly.

"Well, I'm Maka, and this is my partner Soul." She said as she helped up the boy with the white hair and nosebleed. "This little guy behind me is Crona, and this," she patted the black figure emerging from Crona's back, "is Ragnarok."

"I can introduce myself.. Cow."

"And I'm the great Black Star!" The blue haired child shouted from atop a table. "And this is my partner Tsubaki!" He pointed to the woman with the long ponytail.

"I'm Kid, a grim reaper, and these are my weapons Liz," he gestured to the taller girl in jeans, "and Patty," he gestured to the girl in shorts.

"The one with the screw through his head is Professor Stein," Maka said.

"And that's Maka's creepy dad Spirit," Soul finished.

"So where's the food?" Ragnorak said bluntly.

"I'm finishing it up right now," Rin said giving them a thumbs up. He walked back into the kitchen and the Academy students noticed the strange creature in there with him. Shima gravitated towards the girls and started doing their astrological predictions. Maka and Liz tuned out pretty quickly, but the good natured Tsubaki humored his antics and Patty was mystified by the fortune telling. Rin emerged with a ton of precariously balanced food.

"Rin you could've asked for help," Shima said.

"Well there's still plenty to get if you'd like! Has anybody seen Yukio?" Rin asked.

"He's on a mission," Shura piped in. "Oh... I was supposed to back him up on that. Ah well I'm sure he's got it handled!" She assumed childishly.

"Wait so you're a teacher?" Black Star asked.

"Yes I am. I'm Shura Krigakure and I'm 18!" Black Star stared at her a moment longer, processing that the goofy woman was a accomplished exorcist. 'Must not take a whole lot to become an exorcist here. I bet I could do it no problem!' Black Star thought to himself.

"Nii-san?" Someone shouted from down the hall.

"Oy Yukio, in here!" Rin shouted.

"Sorry I'm late. Shura didn't show up for the mission again, though who was really surprised about that. You need to do your assignment for my class that you-" Yukio stopped talking when he reached the kitchen. "Why's everyone here?" Shura threw a beer can at his head and hit precisely on his nose, knocking his glasses to the floor where they shattered.

"Cause the boot camp's in this dingy old dorm four eyes."

"Would you act your age and do your damn job for once in your life Shura?!" Yukio yelled. Everyone in the room stared in amazement at the cool headed boy screaming, and the Academy students were even more baffled when Shura's response was cackling laughter. "Shit," he muttered.

"You owe me five Rin! I told you I could make him mad on day one. It only took me fiiive minutes! He's mad he's mad!" She threw her arms up and waved side to side.

"Damn you Yukio." Rin muttered. Yukio went out of the room without another word. "And that's my kid brother Yukio. He's usually a lot nicer than that I guess he's pmsing or something."

"Yukio is a boy he doesn't pms idiot," Izumo commented.

"Oh.. Well I don't even know what that means," he said laughed with his hand on his head. Maka looked over to see why loud mouthed Soul and Black Star hadn't said anything, and it was because they were too busy stuffing their faces with Rin's cooking. Ragnorak grabbed a plate a took a hesitant bite.

"Wow you're a better girl than this cow!" Ragnorak announced pointing at Maka.

"Would you rather starve?" Maka growled. Ragnorak payed her no attention and just began scarfing down his food.

A few minutes later a much calmer Yukio no longer donning his exorcist coat returned with a new set of glasses.

"That seems kind of a disadvantage, why don't you wear contacts?" Kid asked the younger twin.

"Contacts bother my eyes."

"So how blind are you," Patty said reaching over the table and taking Yukio's glasses from him. "Wow! I can't see anything!"

"What, let me see!" Black Star yelled, taking the glasses from Patty.

"Black Star be careful," Tsubaki warned.

"Don't worry he has plenty of spares," Rin laughed.

"Well let me see how blind four eyes is," Shura cackled, shoving her chest in Black Star's face trying to get the glasses. Black Star fell over in a nose bleed and she snatched them from the air. "Holy shit four eyes. No wonder you don't wear contacts, you couldn't see where to even put them in!"

"Can I have my glasses back," Yukio asked calmly, though Rin and Shura could tell he was not amused by their antics.

When the girls were full and the boys had stomachs so full they looked pregnant Yukio stood.

"This afternoon will serve as a placement observation. We will set you up in sparring matches and judge your strengths and weaknesses, then you will all group up against a single teacher, myself or Ms. Kirgakure. Exorcist students will group up to fight Professor Stein wielding Spirit as a weapon. You have as much to learn here as the Academy students."

"They're gonna learn from us! We defeated the Kishin! We're such huge stars we'll beat either of your asses in a second!" Black Star shouted.

"Black Star that is no way to talk to a teacher," Tsubaki scolded. Yukio whispered something to Rin and Rin smiled mischievously in Black Star's direction.

"What are you looking at?" Black Star yelled. Tsubaki looked worried as Yukio announced the first match would be Black Star and Tsubaki dueling Rin Okumura in a swordsmanship skills test. Yukio led them to the roof, which would serve as a boundary for the fight.

"The first person to yield or a teacher deems needs to stop fighting loses." Yukio said simply.

"Don't go far teach. This won't be a long match. Tsubaki, enchanted sword mode," Black Star ordered.

"Right," she said compliantly, turning into a stream of light that flew to Black Star's hand and rematerialized as a sword and Black Star donned black tattoos coming up and crossing in an x on each cheek.

"Everyone please move to the back of the roof." The Academy students looked at the back of the roof where it looked as if a fox hole had been created for them to sit in. 'Is that really necessary for a sparring match?' Maka thought. There were sandbags piled high enough to fully hide behind, but Yukio and Shura stood to the front of the bags and instructed students to shield themselves behind the makeshift wall. Even Stein and Spirit were crouched beside the Academy instructors. As soon as Rin Okumura drew his sword it was obvious why these precautions were necessary. Blue flames emanated from the teen, his tail whipped around in the midst of the fire and the top of his head had horn shaped flames. Black Star was shocked and confused but did not show it.

"Black Star be careful." Tsubaki said.

"Fire or not he can't hurt a big star like me," Black Star muttered confidently to his weapon partner. "You're going down you freak!" Black Star screamed.

**I already have the first 6 chapters all written up and I'm hard at work on completing this one. Hope you all enjoy!**


	3. Satan's flame against Shadow Star?

"Fire or not he can't hurt a big star like me," Black Star muttered confidently to his weapon partner. "You're going down you freak!" Black Star screamed as he let out his first attack, shadows racing towards Rin. Rin smiled widely and leaped into the air, the shadows following him into the sky, and he unleashed a monsoon of blue flames that disintegrated the shadows below him.

"Come kick my ass kid!" Rin said smiling. He was enjoying being the one baiting and not being the fool playing right into the ruse.

As Black Star had each of his attacks burned to a crisp Stein watched in wonderment, and Spirit eyed him cautiously. Yukio could see the teacher's obvious infatuation in his elder brother's power.

"He's the son of Satan. A half demon half human with the satanic powers from Gehenna." Yukio said.

"You two are twins," Stein stated.

"Fraternal. Not paternal. Rin has had the demonic abilities and qualities since birth. They were sealed inside the Kurikara he now wields until the death of our adopted father a year ago. I attained the satanic power just months ago for reasons I cannot decipher the demon blood was awakened as Rin developed his own power."

"Interesting." Stein kept imagining how exciting it would be to dissect a one of a kind son of satan... 'Oh what new things he could see,' he thought.

"He has remarkable healing abilities as well as the flames." Yukio said.

"So I guess that explains the tail," Soul said. "He's a demon."

"For the rest of you I will let you decide, would you like to fight Rin Okumura clad in flames, or with a wooden sword like a regular knight."

"I'm not afraid of him," Soul said.

"Um Soul, that's fire. Like hot burning fire!" Maka said.

"But he's a student. He's not gonna hurt us anymore than we would hurt him." Kid said. Yukio smiled, these were educated young people, they saw there was human in him though he was cursed with demonic heritage. Yukio then turned his attention back to the fight and saw Black Star was attempting something new. He had thrown his weapon to the ground, was braving the flames, getting right on Rin, and he hit him full on with his soul wavelength. Rin spit up blood and was catapulted backwards into the cement wall of the edge of the roof.

"Rin!" Shiemi yelled from behind the sandbags.

"He's alright," Yukio said to soothe her.

"You have been beat by the great and powerful Black Star!" Black Star screamed, laughing maniacally from his position on the roof. Rin stood, his flames were weakened due to the hit his soul had taken. He felt like he was back to his first lessons with Shura, trying desperately to get them to go after Black Star but they flopped about independent, flaring up in random places. Rin closed his sword and focused on the ground. Yukio was baffled, he didn't know Rin had the capacity to focus. He exploded in flames and ran after Black Star, heating flames behind Black Star so he was forced closer to Rin. Stuck between the blade of Rin's sword and a wall of fire behind him, Yukio yelled Black Star yields. Rin immediately extinguished the flames and sheathed his sword.

"Good fight there," Rin said. He clapped Black Star on the shoulder and ran over to where his friends were and did a embarrassingly shameless victory dance for Bon, Shima, Konekomaru, Izumo and Shiemi who were all applauding his victory.

"Next, Kid Liz and Patty versus Shima and Konekomaru." Shima turned red in the face and Konekomaru squared his shoulders and walked forward into the ring. Shima put together his K'rik and followed suit.

"Liz, Patty." Kid said.

"Right!" They said in unison, Patty much more enthusiastic and oblivious than her elder sister. Kid took his stance, gun upside down in each hand. Konekomaru put his hands together, prepped to chant and Shima took a stance with K'rik. Shura shouted for the match to begin. Konekomaru threw up a shield instantaneously and watched as Kid two shotted Shima and broke through his shield in seconds hitting him with the soul bullets.

"Yield!" Yukio yelled. He took a piece of chalk and wrote on his magically appeared chalkboard.

Winner Loser

Death the Kid

Konekomaru and Shima

Rin Okumura

Black Star

"Next we have Ryuji versus Crona," Yukio said.

"I don't wanna fight him. I don't know how to deal with an exorcist, Maka. I wanna go home." Crona whined.

"It's okay Crona. You can do this," she smiled encouragingly.

"Come on! We can crush him. And then I can eat his soul!" Ragnorak said drooling.

"No, it's a sparring match not a to death thing." Maka scolded.

"I don't know how to deal with people watching me fight like this.. What am I supposed to do," Crona said quietly.

"How about you fight dumbass?" Ragnorak said condescendingly.

"Maka versus Rin," Yukio said. Rin looked at the scrawny girl wielding the large scythe, 'this should be interesting,' he thought.

"Alright Soul, I'll keep you away from him so he doesn't burn you," Maka said gently to her weapon.

"Like he could burn me. Bring it Okumura! We're gonna take you down!" Soul shouted. Yukio rolled his eyes. 'What is it about the Academy and overconfident students,' Yukio wondered. At first, Rin didn't attack with his flames, he simply deflected all of Maka's attacks with the scythe. "Stop holding back asshole!"

"You asked for it!" Rin screamed, jumping at them full flame. Maka gasped as the blue flames approached her and made a close roll under Rin to avoid being burned.

"Genie Hunter!" Maka screamed as Soul took a new shape.

"What is that technique?" Yukio asked Stein.

"It wards off evil without causing damage to the actual vessel. Maka used it to defeat Medusa who had possessed the body of a child named Rachel. It expelled and killed Medusa without harming Rachel. I suppose she intends to attack the demon in Rin without harming his human body."

Maka dove through the flames and took the scythe right through Rin's chest without leaving a mark.

"Game over," Maka said triumphantly, her gaze still on the floor when she felt the heat of the flames surround her and the metal of his blade at her neck.

"Only Rin isn't evil. The flames are identified as evil because the one known for using them used them for massacre and death, but they themselves are no more evil than Soul or Tsubaki." Stein said, cigarette bobbing in his mouth as he spoke.

"So the technique was useless on my brother," Yukio said. Stein nodded in affirmative.

"In all honesty the technique could be used for her to fight demons herself, it's her own tool of exorcism I suppose." Stein mentioned.

"It was handed down to her from her highly accomplished mother. My ex wife," Spirit said nostalgically.

"I suppose my own aptitude for exorcism probably came from my father. He was the most powerful exorcist in his day," Yukio said smiling to himself.

"You're only fifteen, what happened to him?" Spirit asked, and the sad look in Yukio's eyes immediately told him it was a bad question to ask.

"When Rin first awoke to his power Satan tried to reclaim him and drag him to Gehenna through Astaroth, one of the eight demon kings. When that failed, Fujimoto told Rin to go hide here, alone. Rin said some words that weakened our father's willpower, and Satan used that window to possess him to try and take Rin himself. He created a Gehenna gate, a gateway to Gehenna and he threw Rin in it, but our father was so desperate to protect Rin he was able to break through the possession enough to kill himself so Satan could not use him as a vessel to hurt my brother. Rin unsheathed the sword that day and destroyed the gate, but our father was already gone." All the Academy students, the two academy teachers, and cram school students were hurt by the story. The cram school students, particularly Konekomaru, felt bad for ever treating Rin as an evil being solely because he was of Satanic bloodline, and the academy students were heartbroken by the instructors sad story. "All we have anymore is each other. Our mother died giving birth to us, Fujimoto died protecting us, and neither of us will accept Satan as any form of a father."

"Shiemi versus Kid." They both walked silently into the ring. Shiemi was already scared by the two sleek guns already fixated on her. She looked at Nee and he nodded in her direction. Yukio signaled the fight to begin and a gorgeous twining of branches sprouted from the greenman's body to shield little Shiemi.

"Oh no!" Liz and Patty cried as a bullet punched through the left side of the barrier.

"What have I done," Kid gasped. "I've destroyed an incredible work of symmetry. I don't deserve to live. I'm filthy reaper scum destroying the beauty of the world," he cried out, passing out where he stood.

"Uh, yield?" Yukio said, unsure of what just happened. Nee retracted the barrier from Shiemi and the broken pieces lay in a heap on the side of the roof.

"Kid has one major weakness. If things become asymmetrical he is unable to focus on anything but the flawed object. He almost lost his life twice in battle because he couldn't get past the asymmetry and focus on his opponents. Since he took something perfect and made it flawed he spit up blood and fell over passed out," Maka said. Yukio gave her an absolutely flabbergasted look.

"Okay..."

"Alright everyone, here are the results of the matches." Yukio said displaying the board.

Winner Loser

Kid

Shima and Konekomaru

Rin

Black Star

Kid

Shiemi

Black Star

Ryuji

Izumo

Crona

Crona

Rin

Shiemi and Ryuji

Maka

Maka

Shima and Konekomaru

Shiemi

Kid

Rin

Maka

All the students were worn and tired. They were ready to break for dinner, but Yukio had other things in mind for them. "There will be one more match per group. Rin, Ryuji, Shima, Konekomaru, Shiemi, Izumo, you will all be matched against Professor Stein from the Academy. The rest of you will face off with Ms. Krigakure. If either team beats the teacher, they are relieved of morning exercises tomorrow."

"What about you?" Rin asked.

"Someone has to referee." Yukio said smiling. Rin cussed under his breath about his brother opting out of the duel.

The first match was to be the Academy versus Shura. The students took their stances, weapons poised, ready to attack, and Shura just stood there. Yukio announced for the match to begin.


	4. Shura v Academy and Stein v True Cross?

"Devour the eight princess, slay the serpent," Shura muttered, pulling her sword from her chest. Black Star and Soul gawked at her as she took her stance.

"Soul focus!" Maka scolded.

"It's four on one, we can do this," Black Star said. Kid sized her up, he was certain she had something up her sleeve, something that was going to trip them all up, but he had no idea what it was. Certainly the sword being drawn from her body was unexpected but it seemed the academy still had the advantage. Black Star ran right after her and dueled her with enchanted sword mode. Shura leaped backwards.

"Dabo!" She screamed, slicing her sword through air at nothing. Strikes emanated from the blade, knocking all the students to their butts. "Kirigakure Ryū-Makengi!" She yelled, biting her finger and wiping the blood on the blade. Her sword swelled in size, taking on a shape much like that of a snake, and she winked at the students, inviting them to come at her. Maka had hit her head on the edging wall and was unconscious already. Soul was holding her as he intently watched the unusual match continue. Shura went face to face with Kid, knocking his shots off her blade, until she was pressed against him. She cackles and swings her blade in front of his face, leaving no damage except an uneven haircut. Shura had already learned the weaknesses of her attackers, and was quickly taking advantage of them. Crona eyed her with ferocity, her powers of manipulating serpentine forms brought back his ill memories of his snake wielding mother. When she turned around Black Star plunged his blade into her chest, suspending her in midair.

"Gotcha," Black Star said, "huh?" Her body disintegrated into a mass of snakes wrapped around Black Star's hand. He gave a high pitched squeal and shook them to the ground and was struck on the head by the butt of Shura's sword handle. He fell to the ground face first as the triumphant exorcist smiled behind her.

"Oh this is too easy!" She cackled.

"Ready Ragnorak?" Crona asked of the sword. The mouth mid blade of the weapon responded to him.

"Just go before she comes over here."

"Scream resonance," the pink haired boy mumbled. All the bystanders clutched their heads as the pair released their scream sound. Shura crouched and stared at him, analyzing her target. To break his concentration she drove her sword into his shoulder, Rin winced at the familiar move. The tip of the blade had barely even penetrated the skin and it was stopped short by hardened blood.

"What the hell," for once in this match Shura was one step behind her opponent. She pulled the sword free.

"Bloody needle," Crona said. The little blood that had spilled suddenly spiked up at Shura. She jumped backwards narrowly avoiding attack. She smiled at him from her attained distance.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Crona whimpered.

"Gara gara!" Giant snake shadows raced at Crona, flowing past and around him they extinguished Ragnorak.

"What did you do?" Crona cried.

"I removed your demonic powers temporarily," she said as she put her blade against his neck.

"Yield," Yukio said. Shura put down the blade and laughed.

"She has some very interesting abilities," Stein said, twisting the screw in his head.

"Shura is a very powerful and very capable exorcist, but she lacks the appropriate attitude," Yukio said frowning.

"It seems to work for her."

"Crona, he's been filled with the blood of a demon much like Rin has," Yukio said. "How?"

"His mother did a transfusion on him when he was young, removing his human blood and putting in the black blood of the demon sword Ragnorak. Ragnorak utilizes his unique blood in fights, creating bloody needle and other such weapons from it as well as protecting Crona from physical damage and blood loss."

"His mother did that to him?" Yukio said, horrified.

"Yes. She was trying to create a Kishin. But ultimately Crona, no matter how many human souls Ragnorak devoured, did not progress into a Kishin and she abandoned him. Maka connected to him and realized he was only a pawn in Medusa'a evil plot and convinced Lord Death to let him in enroll in the Academy. He's been fighting with us ever since," Stein said throwing out his cigarette.

"So you're the best meister the Academy has ever seen?" Yukio asked.

"Yes. I have an unquenchable curiosity as well, piqued by dissection of unique creatures," as he said that Yukio noticed that the grey haired teacher's green eyes, though one lens of his glasses was in a bright glare, was focused on his elder brother on the sidelines. Yukio frowned at the interest.

"Rin is a person. Not an experiment." Yukio said frankly.

"Oh I wasn't going to dissect your brother. I would get in trouble for that. Spirit is here to make sure I maintain control of my madness," Stein said almost sadly. 'Oh how I would love to look inside that creature.' The thought brought a wicked smile to his mouth that quickly retreated, he didn't want to cause the younger brother any alarm. "Ms. Krigakure is your best exorcist?" Yukio's mouth pinched.

"No. While she is arguably the best fighter, having stood her own against the current Paladin in combat as well as Satan when he possessed me, her attitude is totally off mark for being a reliable exorcist." As if to reiterate Yukio's point about her, Shura jumped up childishly in victory.

"I win I win!"

"You could've at least given them a chance Shura," Yukio said frowning.

"What good does that do? The enemy doesn't play with you, they attack. Plus it's more fun and less work to just go all out fast," she smiled, knowing her antics frustrated the young exorcist.

"Alright. Rin, Shima, Konekomaru, Shiemi, Izumo, Bon; you guys are up now," Yukio said as he carried the unconscious Kid, Maka and Black Star back to behind the safety of the sandbags.

"You'll be fighting Stein and Spirit," Shura said. 'This is going to be very interesting,' she smiled. Spirit transformed into a lopsided like crucifix that Stein expertly swung around before taking his stance. Shima looked at him, worried already and he hadn't even done anything. Then, by quite a surprise, Shura kicked a rolling chair towards the Professor. He turned it backwards and took a seat.

"Are you going to come at me anytime today?" Stein asked boredly. Bon shocked he had the audacity to challenge not only himself but Rin also.

"I'll burn you up!" Rin yelled, drawing Kurikara and swinging the blue flame clad blade around. Stein looked unimpressed as he turned the screw in his head. Bon aimed his gun, Izumo's familiars crouched, ready to attack, Shiemi had Nee at her shoulder, Konekomaru stood ready to chant, though he wasn't sure what to say yet, Stein was no demon, and Shima held K'rik hesitantly.

"I'll dissect you all!" At that statement Shima took a step backwards, scared of the mad scientist like teacher.

"What happened?" Maka asked softly.

"We lost. Bad," Soul said. "And I heard she's not even the best there is." Soul said.

"Looks like they aren't doing too well either," Kid said, gesturing to the fight. Rin was going to Stein like a mad man but was always miliseconds behind his moves. Bon shot at him but he neatly deflected every shot with the staff while dodging Rin. Stein shot up and kicked the chair out, knocking Rin off his feet.

"Shit!" He yelled as he fell.

"Is that all you've got? I thought you were going to be a great exorcist?" Stein taunted. Izumo's familiars attacked him, Mike sunk his fangs into Stein's arm but was quickly shaken and both demons were thrown to the ground as Stein raced towards Izumo. He snatched and tore her papers and thrust his elbow at her chest, knocking her down struggling to breathe. Konekomaru ran at him, hoping to distract him for Bon or Rin, but Stein dodged and flipped Konekomaru backwards and onto his back, the impact knocking the wind out of him.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Rin screamed, launching flames at Stein. Stein struck the ground with Spirit and perched on top of the scythe, out of reach of Rin's attack. Rin gave him the finger and Bon used the window to shoot at the unarmed man, but somehow, his back to Bon, Stein still avoided the shots.

"Shima would you do something?" Bon scolded, a vein popping out of his forehead. His eyes were pure white with anger and humiliation at the way the fight was going. Stein landed a kick square in Shima's chest, throwing him against the wall where he hit back first at high impact.

"Shima!" Bon yelled. 'Why does that always happen to him,' Bon thought. Rin was standing in the corner of the ring snarling at Stein.

"Is he alright Yukio?" Shura asked.

"Yes. He's angry but he's in control right now," Yukio said, though Shura saw his hand twitching for his gun and wondered how much faith Yukio had in his elder brother's control of his flames.

"Will you really shoot your brother Yukio?" Shura asked. The Academy students listened intently, almost scared of the possible response. Patty clung to Liz crying out and Kid looked embarrassed by her.

"I could never shoot you sis!" Patty wailed. Kid sighed, 'those two are so strange,' he thought. Though he was one to talk about strange behavior, his gaze flicked up to his miscut bangs every half second and he glared at them in anger and disgust. Black Star sulked over the shaming loss to Shura and Tsubaki looked between Yukio and her partner with worry, always the caring one.

"You know very well I'll do what's necessary," Yukio said calmly.

"If it comes to that, I'll take him down. I won't make you hurt your brother, scaredy," Shura said. She was almost serious and genuine until she called him scaredy and giggled like a child.

"How are you supposed to beat Satan if you can't even beat me?" Stein cackled. Yukio winced, that was a personal spot. 'Of course someone as experienced as Stein would know a person's weak spot,' Yukio thought. "I guess you're just going to let him get away with taking away your family." Rin growled at the meister but Stein was unwavering in his insults. "At least let me dissect you before I kill you!" Stein yelled as he leaped towards Rin. Bon got between them and Stein knocking him out of the way with the butt of his weapon and gave him a quick jab to the head, just enough to knock him out of consciousness for the next couple minutes; and by then Stein was sure the fight would be over. The Academy students looked at their professor, all thinking he must have been holding back when they first fought him, and even then they didn't stand a chance. If this experience taught them nothing else, they at least now knew they still had much to learn to even stand a chance against the best and all but Black Star, Academy and Cram School students alike, grew a bit more humble in the broadcasting of their fighting skills.

"He's still falling right into bait," Yukio said, putting his face in his hands.

"You're one to talk four eyes. You played right into Egin's plan, helping him, volunteering for Rin, you made it almost too easy for him to get his way," Shura said with her elbow on his shoulder.

"I would do anything to protect my brother." Yukio said with finality. Shura backed away from him, sensing he was done talking to anyone for awhile. Everyone always thought Yukio was hard to read. He was almost always, save a few rare occurrences, so level headed in behavior and appearance, but Shura, having known him since he was a mere child, could see right through the facade.

"Soul force!" Stein shouted, hitting Rin with his soul wavelength. Rin knew what was going to happen, his resolve would waver and his control over his flames would deteriorate. Or he thought he knew. He found himself immobilized by the teacher; sutures ran up and down his body.

"What did you do?" Rin asked.

"Like you would understand even if he explained it too you nii-san," Yukio said walking over. "Yield." Stein released Rin and he stumbled sideways.

**Alrighty, so I have a few more chapters done already, I'm actually done up to chapter 8. My plan is to send out a new one every three days but I'm a sucker for reviews when people ask for more I tend to cave and release something as fast as I can. Anyway, done rambling. **

**Lifehouse Fanatic :)**


	5. Meisters and demons?

"How did everyone like today's dueling?" Yukio asked his class of exhausted and bruised students.

"You're worse than Satan Yukio," Rin said, and to that Yukio laughed good naturedly.

"Did you at least see you have a lot to learn from each other?" Yukio asked.

"We have a lot to learn from busty miss," Soul said bluntly. "I don't see anything to learn from you guys who also got your asses kicked." Rin flared up, pissed at the insult directed towards him and his friends.

"At least I didn't pass out right at the beginning of the fight like she did!" Rin shouted.

"You ran right into his attacks you idiot!" Soul countered. Yukio watched as the students went head to head, 'shit. This wasn't supposed to happen,' Yukio thought. It had turned from an exercise designed to humble their overinflated egos to the ultimate battle of who had a bigger ego.

"Hey, hey, hey," Yukio scolded, pushing them out of each other's faces. "Do you wanna deal with the bariyons again?" All the exorcists hushed up immediately, knowing their teacher could be mean when he was angry.

"Hehe.. No need to be angry Yukio," Rin said, making hand gestures.

"Come on Yuki," Shiemi urged.

"Let's break for dinner," Yukio said shortly. Yukio stood back, making sure all the students went inside, and began to walk forward when Shura grabbed his arm and pushed him against the wall with her forearm.

"What the hell is wrong with you Yukio?! You're even more uptight than usual. It's boys and Rin's involved, it's bound to ensure stupidity, but you're going over the top with this scaredy."

"It's been three months Shura... I still feel like he's in my head... I don't know if it's my imagination but sometimes I swear my eyes aren't right, like he's working his way in again... He's bound to have made other plans, but he isn't doing anything right now..." Yukio said quietly.

"Yukio.." Shura said softly, not knowing what had really been troubling the young exorcist. Sometimes it's so hard to forget he's only 15, he acts so mature and shoulders so much responsibility, but everyone has a breaking point. Yukio sounded like he was approaching his and Shura worried for him. "Man up," she said, smacking him on the back of the head. Yukio sighed and walked inside. Shura winced, knowing that wasn't the right move to make, her joking attitude pissed him off on a normal day and was way over the top today. "Oy! Yukio!" She yelled.

"What do you want Shura?"He asked impatiently, pushing his glasses farther up on his nose. She didn't say anything, but the scantily clad exorcist did something she never did, she pulled the boy in for a hug.

"I don't pretend to know how you feel about Satan's plans, but I know how you feel about being alone. All the strong members of your family, the ones you could rely on, are gone. I know how it feels to not have family Yukio," She said into his shoulder. He hesitantly put his arms around her. It had been so long since he's had a hug of reassurance like that, since someone tried to make him feel better. The closest he'd gotten to it was when Rin hugged him when he came back from the possession, and then he scolded him. "Come on kid, who knows what the hell they're doing in there," she said. Yukio nodded at her, his expression softened and walked ahead. Shura shook her head, 'I will make that boy open up one day,' she thought.

"What'd you say eyebrows!?" Black Star yelled.

"Stop calling me that!" Izumo yelled at him. Tsubaki was hopelessly trying to calm the situation. Shiemi and Crona were talking quietly in the corner but Ragnorak was screaming at Rin, Soul and Bon were at it, Patty was talking to Shima, and Liz and Konekomaru were onlookers waiting for the group to get in trouble. Before Yukio could call them down his cell went off.

"Okumura," he answered officially.

"How come no one ever calls me?" Shura pouted. Yukio shot a glare her way as he listened to the call.

"Okay," Yukio said, ending the call.

"What was that?"

"I'm needed for a mission," he said.

"Oy you can't leave me with them!" Shura protested.

"I wasn't planning on it," Yukio said, the look in his eyes showing he was plotting something. He walked into the dining room and all the exorcists shut up at once, but the Academy students continued to misbehave. "Alright!" He said, loud but still calm. Everyone turned around and looked at the teacher in glasses. "I'm needed for a mission, since I'm also in charge of this camp you will accompany me. If you behave," he adjusted his glasses and they glared in the new light, "I won't get out the bariyons." Shura nudged his shoulder and whispered to him.

"Is this a good idea chicken?"

"No. But I can't leave them to you." He turned his back on her as she glared at him, though as she thought about she knew she wasn't very reliable. 'Eh, whatever. Less work for me!' she thought.

"What are we doing Yuki?" Shiemi asked quietly.

"A large number of demons have been discovered inhabiting a normal school near True Cross Academy. You all are going to take care of it, Ms. Shura and I will supervise," he announced.

"What?! You're putting them on the mission?" Shura questioned.

"They're clearly eager to fight, so I'm going to let them."

"All of you are to work together to clear out the demons. If you can't cooperate I will step in, Shura will take you back to the dorms and I will deal with you when the mission is complete," Yukio explained.

"Right!" Rin shouted, and the other students followed suit and entered the school building.

"I give them five minutes. Tops." Shura offered when the students were out of hearing range.

"Let's start upstairs and work our way down," Kid suggested.

"Demons always concentrate in the dark, the basement is the best bet," Bon argued.

"We could split up," Maka suggested.

"No. We don't know what we're walking into! Exorcists don't fight alone, geeze you guys are dumb." Bon said wincing at the Academy students inferior knowledge of demon behavior.

"We have to clear all the areas anyway why the hell does it matter where we start?" Soul yelled.

"We could start in the middle," Tsubaki countered, trying to appease everyone.

"I'm a moron and even I know that's stupid," Rin said. Tsubaki looked hurt at the comment and Rin opened his mouth to apologize for being so rude to her when Black Star cut him off.

"Don't be mean to her or I'll beat you down bastard!"

"If that means the same thing as our fight earlier than I don't give a shit Black Asteroid," Rin mocked.

"I am the great and powerful Black Star! Make fun of me and you die!"

"I don't know about you fools, but I'd like to get this overwith and not get punished by Mr. Okumura," Izumo said with her hands on hips, acting like she was better than everyone else as usual.

"That teacher's a joke. He doesn't do shit. Just sits back and bosses people around like a pathetic los-" Black Star was cut off when Rin punched him straight in the jaw, knocking him into a wall. "What the hell was that for? You've been bashing him and comparing him to Satan all day!"

"He's my brother. I can bash him but you say one more insulting thing about him and I'll break you!" Rin screamed, hand on his sword, ready to pull it from its sheath and unleash his power.

"You guys didn't even get started," Yukio's voice came from the open door at the entrance.

"Y-yukio?!" Rin gasped. 'Oh shit. I'm in trouble.' Yukio's eyebrow twitched as he looked at the students. He took a deep breath, contemplating how to move forward from here.

"Instead of sending you home, you can't leave until this location is vacated of demons," Yukio commanded. He and Shura strode out.

"Not even five minutes, hell not even one minute." Yukio complained once they were outside.

"What did you really expect? There are some serious personalities in there," Shura said.

"I expected them to act less like children by now and more like exorcists by now." Yukio said simply.

"Alright listen up. We are going to start upstairs, then we are going to proceed from right to left, if you got a problem, tell someone who care." Bon instructed.

"That's our Bon," Shima said, laughing nervously, hoping Bon didn't start another uproar in the group.

"Whatever keeps teacher tight britches happy," Soul mumbled.

"The hell did you say?" Rin said, hand twitching at the butt of his weapon, ready to unsheathe his sword already.

"Would you stop Rin!" Shiemi yelled. "Let's just get through this and not make Yuki upset."

"You his girlfriend? Or just a teacher's pet?" Black Star asked Shiemi rudely.

"I'm Yuki's friend."

"Whatever cry baby." Black Star said. Rin thumped him on the head, hard enough to irritate him.

"Don't be mean to her dumbass." Rin complained. Bon went behind the bickering two and pushed them forward.

Everything went smooth enough from the roof to the first floor, there were only a couple demons in each room either Rin with his flames or Izumo with her familiars took out in a matter of seconds.

"Last room," Shima said, acting winded though he hadn't taken out a single demon and barely fought today.

"Then we have to stop fighting with these guys. They're the opposite of cool," Soul said slouching against the wall.

"You haven't done anything and you're somehow the cool one?" Rin said. "I beat Satan punk."

"Who cares." Soul muttered. "Let's just get this over with."

"This should be the most concentrated area," Bon said. "So why don't you guys take your weapon forms." Soul whisped away into a scythe, Liz and Patty flew into their gun forms, Ragnorak materialized into Crona's hand, and Tsubaki morphed into a ninja sword for Black Star.

"Let's go," Maka said, a determined look on her face as she gripped the handle of her weapon. When they opened the door the room was full of mostly lower level demons. Rin started the fight by jumping onto Black Star's shoulder for a boost and took out the demons closest to the ceiling.

"Hey! Quit trying to outshine me demon!" Black Star yelled, waving his fist at Rin's back. When Rin landed he was knocked off his feet by the backswing of Maka's attack with Soul.

"Watch it puny!" Rin shouted from the floor.

"Don't get in my way idiot!" Maka retorted. Bon and Konekomaru were chanting from the background.

"Would you stop mumbling! And get into a symmetric formation!" Kid screamed stamping his foot. A demon was about to hit Kid as he complained when Rin blasted fire and burned it up.

"Thanks," Liz said from her weapon form.

"What?" Kid asked.

"If you'd stop worrying about symmetry you'd know he just saved you, Kid!" Liz scolded.

"Oh. Thank you mr. Okumura." Kid said formerly.

"Oy it's just Rin Kid." While Rin and Kid were talking Maka took out a couple demons headed for them.

"Scream resonance," Crona said, and the sword screeched, popping all the demons in the room.

"Well, that's one way to do it." Soul said.

"So we're done? Horray!" Shima said.

"You didn't do anything!" Black Star yelled in his face.

"I was there for moral support," Shima mumbled. Soul was already holding the door open.

"We gonna go or not?" He asked. When they were outside Yukio was looking at his watch.

"So you managed to get it together I see," Yukio said not even glancing up from his watch. "Let's head back then," he said as he opened his phone to tell his superiors the mission was done.


	6. Black Star and Rin work together?

"Did you learn to act like a team even though you had differences?" Yukio asked upon return to the dorm.

"Saving people's lives does bring ya closer," Rin said nudging a gently grinning Death the Kid.

"Yeah Rin," Maka said nudging Rin the same way.

"So I guess you were right for once four eyes," Shura said as they walked out into the hallway.

"I'm considered a genius exorcist for a reason you know," he replied, smiling gently in the direction of his students.

"You know you could act like one of them every now and then too," Shura said nonchalantly. "You don't always have to be the responsible one. You're a kid you might as well act like it chicken."

"If I don't act like a responsible person no one will. This place will go to hell."

"Geeze you're such a geezer," she said in an exasperated tone with one hand on her head and one on her hip. "Rin is safe. You can act like a kid again. I don't think I've ever seen you act like a child. You never let loose. I know the fact I'm never serious ticks you off but it's my choice. Maybe it makes you so mad because you can't get goofy like me. Eh I'm going all psychological on ya now."

"I take things seriously because it's a serious matter. I don't believe Satan is done here and I want to be as ready as I can when he comes back. I won't let him take my brother," he said with finality.

"Oy," she sighed. She smacked him on the back, "Chill the hell out. You're making _my_ stomach hurt with all your damn worrying," she complained loudly, rubbing theatrically at her bare tummy.

"Let's just go back with the kids, eat some food," he said as he began walking away from her.

"Can I use one of your shirts? Those boys are creeping me out."

"I didn't know you had an ounce of modesty in you Shura," he mumbled to himself quietly.

"What was that four eyes?" She said, knowing the jist of what he said and becoming angry at his judgment of her.

"Just come on," he said leading her up the stairs and through the corridors to the room he and Rin shared.

When they came back into the room Shura was uncomfortably sporting a plain white shirt and exorcist's jacket. She had the button up tied up above her stomach tattoos and unbuttoned enough to still allow access to her chest tattoos in case of an emergency. She fidgeted in the new clothes.

"You guys want some food?" Rin shouted from the kitchen, having heard Yukio and Shura come in. Yukio walked into the kitchen to talk to his brother and Shura sat on the end of the table the students were seated at.

"So. You once again defied logic Nii-san," Yukio said, sitting on the counter with his arms crossed.

"Haha," Rin smiled sheepishly towards the wall as he cooked. "My tiny brain doesn't see the difference in groups, so I protected them."

"Rin," Yukio started gently. "I know you like to believe everyone can be saved, but be careful. Some people don't wanna be." Rin jerked and turned around, shocked at what his brother was saying.

"You told me the old man saved us for the same reason I give other people. Everyone deserves a chance, I've got to try." Yukio shook his head at his brother.

"Rin, there are some things out there that are just evil. You have to be prepared to deal with them."

"How do you know they're evil?" Rin questioned his younger, more exorcist trained, brother.

"Demons are evil. Astaroth, Amaimon, Satan, do I need to continue? Demons tried to kill you Rin, and you're half one of them!" Yukio said, his voice rising in irritation that his brother wasn't understanding something so fundamental to becoming an exorcist.

"Yeah, I'm half one of them. Mephisto is one of them, Kuro is, I could go on too. You may have to learn something from me four eyes. I know it's hard to see since you're pretty much blind, but there's a difference between evil evil and someone who's lost acting evil. Amaimon was just looking for fun, and Astaroth was following Satan, Mephisto is on our side, you can't judge someone just because they're different than you Yukio." Yukio pushed his glasses up on his face.

"I'm not completely disagreeing with you Rin. But the Vatican need to know you are prepared to act properly in the face of imminent danger."

"What the hell?! I always act!" Rin yelled, waving his spatula at his unwavering younger sibling.

"The incident with the train just goes to serve you aren't ready to be a solo exorcist. Because of your actions we caused devastation to the surrounding area, killed two people, and Rin it could have been worse. You don't always have the time to talk things down like you did with Kuro, sometimes you just have to do something. I don't think you can reliably fulfill a mission," Yukio pushed up his glasses into a glare. "So you won't be taking the exorcist qualification exam as planned. You will take it when you have completed the required courses just as your friends will. The Vatican asked me for my personal opinion on your reckless behavior and this conversation here served as my final observation. You have more power than most exorcists ever attain but you, like Shura," his eyebrow twitched at her name, "lack the attitude for exorcism. With Shura it's just being serious she can't do, with you, you can't protect what's immediately in danger. You try and protect everything and that's wonderful but in a mission it can get people _killed_."

"If I'd tried to just save what was imminently in danger than you would have gotten killed when Satan attacked Yukio!" Rin shouted.

"Immediately." Yukio corrected.

"What?"

"You said imminently. It's immediately."

"You're correcting me now?!" Rin yelled, steam coming off his head and his pupils absent from his furious eyes.

"I was prepared to do what was necessary to save as many people as I could. You put yourself, Shura, and Shiemi in danger with your actions, and what you don't seem to grasp is that things don't always turn out as well as then. You don't know when you just need to _walk away_." Yukio said. Shura could hear the brothers arguing from the kitchen. She looked on, curious about what they could be fighting about. She stood, her curiosity getting the better of her and went into the kitchen.

"What are you to squealing about?" She asked irritatedly. Rin was in a childish tantrum and Yukio was just seated on the counter as if a raging flame clad brother wasn't right in front of him.

"I told Rin the vatican's new ruling about the exorcist exam." He said calmly.

"Oy. Why'd you do that now chicken?!" 'Some genius,' she thought snidely.

"Because I finalized my report to the vatican. You know Rin lacks the attitude and the control of a proper exorcist." Yukio said. Rin's anger faltered, 'Shura thought this too?' he thought.

"I don't even see what the big deal is," Shura said shrugging. "Now you don't have to cram or leave your friends. It's less work for all of us. I don't have to train your wild ass so soon," she said as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Rin considered what she'd just said for a moment.

"And considering how the fight with Professor Stein went today, I'm sure you see even in fighting you have a lot to lean nii-san."

"I'd like to see you fight him smug ass mole face," Rin mumbled almost inaudibly.

"Alright. We are going to put everyone in the second floor cafeteria to sleep. The tables have been removed so you all have room to sleep," Yukio explained. "Don't be tempted to leave, you will be caught," his face turned serious, and the few students that knew Yukio were aware he was dead serious. Shura threw his arm over Yukio's shoulder and pressed her chest against him seductively.

"Yukio and I will bunk upstairs," she winked at the kids, "and Stein and Spirit will be downstairs." Yukio pulled her arm off of him.

"We'll be in separate rooms Ms. Krigakure," Yukio said, pushing his glasses up on his the bridge of his nose.

"Aw party pooper," she pouted. 'I almost feel safer with the dissecting professor,' Yukio thought. He noticed Stein studying him and became increasingly uncomfortable with the visiting teacher. His neck went red and he adjusted his jacket unnecessarily. 'Maybe not...' he reconsidered.

"Alright, get to it," Yukio commanded. They were on the first floor so Yukio led Stein to the room next to the left stairs and put Spirit next to the right stairs so the students couldn't escape easily.

"Anyone want to do truth or dare?" Rin asked excitedly. He'd never had a sleepover so he was behaving much like a teenage girl

"Rin..." Bon started but Shiemi and Patty joined in with enthusiasm. The others fell into support of the idea slowly.

"Okay, Rin, since you're the culprit of this idea, truth or dare?" Bon asked him. Rin contemplated the decision dramatically for a moment.

"It's early in the game, truth." The other students grouped together to think of a question for the Spawn of Satan.

"Alright Okumura," Soul said grinning. "Are you really an idiot?"

"Well... Yukio sure seems to think so," he said chuckling. "Honestly, probably not I just can't focus on studying. I'm more of a hands on guy." Black Star whooped in agreement and gave Rin a high five.

"Tsubaki," Rin called out the shy, quiet girl. "Why the hell is Black Star your partner. He's so crazy."

"Hehe," she giggled shyly. "Black Star is very determined, he has a strong spirit and is a caring person even if he's a little goofy. He's always supported me," her eyes closed in a gentle smile.

"Izumo," Tsubaki said, trying to reach across the division of schools. "Why are your eyebrows so short?" Everyone gasped in unison, everyone had shared that curiosity but no one had ever dared to ask the tempered young exorcist.

"Because of my heritage. Same reason Rin has a tail," she explained nonchalantly. "My mother was a lower level demon that seduced my father, I was born and she had become almost domesticated. When I was young, she went feral when my father caught her eating the remains of a young child from a neighboring village. The commotion drew attention and the crowd ultimately burned her and the village in front of me and my young friend." Everyone was silent, unsure how to proceed. "Soul, truth or dare." She said, breaking the silence.

"Dare," he said smiling with his pointed teeth gleaming.

"Yes!" Black Star screamed. "Oops, sorry."

"Go retrieve Mr. Okumura's keys!" Patty cried out.

"That works," Bon agreed.

"Pft. That's easy. He's just a kid," Soul said as he walked out the door.

"Shura what do you want?" Yukio asked as she was in his doorway.

"They're playing truth or dare downstairs. You should play."

"I have papers to grade." She thumped him on the head.

"I'm going. You will come or I will tell them you were peeping on me. Your choice," she said as she turned her back to him. Halfway down the stairs she ran into Soul. "What are you doing?"

"A dare," he admitted sheepishly. Shura cackled loudly.

"Oy, what is it?"

"Get Mr. Okumura's keys."

"That's odd." She said confused. She pulled keys out of her exorcists jacket pocket. "Here, take mine. Four eyes is pissy and not in the spirit of gaming." She complained dramatically.

"Will you stop saying bad things about me," Yukio said as he walked down the stairs. His white shirt was untucked, unbuttoned, and he was wearing jeans instead of the usual exorcists uniform.

"I didn't think you owned normal clothes," Soul said. He'd only known him for a day but he had a pretty solid idea of what the young teacher was like outside of class, but he was completely oblivious about the fact the Yukio's temper does snap, and when it does, it is not pretty.

"Let's go!" Shura said childishly, running down the stairs. Yukio sighed, 'you would think she's the fifteen year old.' When Shura walked into the room first and the students immediately assumed Soul had been caught and that they all were in trouble.

"Can I play?" Soul and Yukio walked into the room. "And four eyes and four eyes!" Everyone awed at the teenage teacher.

"Are you possessed?" Rin asked, hand on his sword already.

"No nii-san."

"That's exactly what a demon would say!"

"We are part demon baka."

"Oh... Right..."

"I'm gonna take down Mr. Okumura," Soul said. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." Soul smiled mischievously.

"How many moles do you really have?"

"I-I don't count them," he stammered. "They multiply every day anyway," he mumbled angrily.

"Count them now!" Patty demanded. Shura grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him out.

"You can count them or I can chicken." She said, dragging him out of the room.

"Is something going on with those two?" Kid asked.

"Yukio can't stand Ms. Shura," Rin said. "She drives him absolutely insane. It's the two of us that consistently break his temper."

"It would seem she likes him," Liz said picking at her nails. Everyone was staring at the one girly girl in the room. "What?" She asked when she looked up and saw all the interested faces.

"Oh come on. Have you guys seriously not noticed?" Izumo complained. "Our teacher is not the only blind one."

"Does she behave that way with other teachers?" Liz asked the Cram School students who'd known the pair longer.

"No. She's quite professional, apart from the way she dressed, around others. She does use her physical appeal occasionally but mostly her over the top stuff is reserved for Okumura sensai." Shima said sadly, internally wishing the lovely teacher would send some of her attention his way.

"Well I mean she has known him for years," Konekomaru offered.

"I'm sure Ms. Shura has known a lot of people here for a long time," Bon said. Their conversation was cut off when Yukio and Shura came back in. Yukio was extremely red in the face and was busying himself with adjusting his shirt buttons.


	7. Truth or dare?

"I'm sure Ms. Shura has known a lot of people here for a long time," Bon said. Their conversation was cut off when Yukio and Shura came back in. Yukio was extremely red in the face and was busying himself with adjusting his shirt buttons.

"He only let me count from the waist up," Shura pouted.

"No fair!" Rin cried in outrage.

"Told ya," Shura taunted Yukio.

"We asked how many moles you had, not how many are on your upper body!" Rin fought.

"I think you just want to know," Yukio muttered. He was not enjoying this game at all. 'How in the hell did I let Shura get me to do this,' Yukio thought. All that had occurred was childish pranks and humiliating revelations.

"I'm trying to preserve the game!" Rin argued, thought he really did just wanna know how many moles his younger brother had. The only one uninterested was Patty, because she wasn't paying attention. Kid tried not to pay attention to the asymmetrical orientation of the moles on Yukio's face, but his eyes were automatically drawn to them. Yukio stood up and Shura followed.

"I do not need help counting my moles Shura," he practically growled. She followed him anyway.

When Shura and Yukio returned for the second time all the students were huddled up, conspiring something that was silenced upon their entry. 'Why do I think this is not going to be good,' Yukio thought his stomach turning oddly. Shura grabbed a marker and began and scribbled on the whiteboard on the side of the room before smacking the nearest table to get the attention of all the students.

"The magic number is! 66," Shura cackled at the irony. turning so everyone could see she had drawn Yukio with a pointed tail, huge glasses, and devil horns, the number 6 repeated all around her little stick figure. "You really are a spawn of Satan! Proof Proof!" Rin stared at it for awhile.

"I don't get it."

"Ugh!" Bon complained loudly.

"Three sixes together are an omen of Satan. It was considered an evil date a few years ago and is still considered an evil number," Konekomaru explained.

"Oh!" Rin and Shima said.

"You didn't know that either?!" Bon yelled in Shima's face.

"Why is he so hot headed?" Soul asked, not trying to be quiet. Bon glared at Soul but he was not fazed.

"Six is a disgraceful number," Kid muttered. "It is completely asymmetrical in every fashion."

"Anyway," Shima said, trying to move the game along before Okumura- sensai got pissed, before Kid has an episode, and before Bon became even more irritated. "Bon truth or dare!"

"Dare," he said confidently.

"Kiss Moriyama!"

"What?" Shiemi cried out as Bon gave Shima a death glare of terrifying severity. Bon went over to Shiemi and offered her a hand to stand up. He quickly kissed the red faced girl and returned to his seat. The fellow students were giving him cheers and Shima and Soul gave standing ovations.

"Crona," Shura said. "Truth or dare?"

"Uh.. truth," Crona answered shyly.

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

"Yukio," Black Star started, "punch Rin in the face!" Rin laughed uncontrollably, knowing his wimpy brother wouldn't be able to hit him.

"Ah!" Shiemi shouted when Yukio's fist went across his face.

"What the hell Yukio?!" Rin yelled when he had collected himself.

By the end of the game, Kid was distraught that his dare had involved arranging his home asymmetrically, Yukio was without a shirt, Konekomaru had that taste of cat food in his mouth, Rin had a bruised cheek from Yukio punching him and was also donning a braided tail, Tsubaki and Izumo both had their hair down, Maka had her shoes tied to Souls and both had to use the restroom fairly urgently, Crona was in a corner over his questioned gender, Black Star was in his underpants, Liz was refraining from fixing her nails and other such features due to her dare, Patty was constructing a elaborate origami giraffe and Shiemi was deciding who to dare and what to do for the final round of the game. Rin was complaining that he had gotten bullied during the game, everyone focusing their dares on him.

"Well you are the reason we're playing this," Maka said.

"But you guys are just being cruel!" Rin yelled, petting his tail. He had to admit, Tsubaki had done a beautiful job braiding his tail. "And I can't believe you hit me!"

"Payback for kicking me over food."

"Do you let go of anything!" Yukio glared at his brother. Yukio threw a small cup of water at Rin. "What the hell was that for?"

"I thought I ought to let you know what water looked like. Since apparently you're unclear." The water turned to steam as Rin flamed up over the incident. He grabbed his sword and pointed Kurikara at his brother's throat. Yukio jumped up and pointed his gun at Rin's steaming chest.

'Damn. That escalated quickly,' Maka thought.

"Do you and Patty fight like that?" Konekomaru asked Liz.

"I could never fight my sister!" Liz yelled in the monk's face.

"They don't fight like that," Kid said.

"Oy oy oy!" Shura shouted, pushing Rin down on his butt. Yukio just laughed and sat back down. Rin sat across from him, steam and flames rising from his clothes until he was dry, then he laughed too.

"Come on Shura, you know I wouldn't fight my brother," Rin said smiling, his pointed teeth gleaming, as he gave her a thumbs up. "I couldn't even fight him when he was possessed by Satan," Rin said, using his hands to represent devil horns on his own head.

"Do you realize your flames are positioned like devils horns too Rin," Shura asked slowly. Rin shot up out of the room.

"Wow!" They all heard him scream from down the hall.

"Ms. Shura!" She yelled, everyone stared at the young blonde girl standing above them all. Rin poked his head back in the room. His flames burned blue atop his head and he smiled demonically. He did not want to miss the moment the students had been waiting for since the game started.

"What?" She said as she scratched her ear pretending Shiemi had deafened her.

"Ms. Shura... Kiss Yuki!" Everyone gaped at the audacity of the shy exwire.

"Well... everyone's been wanting to say that one," Rin said hand in his hair, pretending he didn't see the glare coming from his brother.

"Alright scaredy come 'ere," she said, but before she was up he had his hand extended to her. "You're a man after all," she winked and a vein in his forehead visibly pulsed. Shura had expected to take the exorcist off his feet, but she was taken off hers when he went for the kiss first, swept her feet out from under her, and had a gun pointed at her head as he had her laid on his knee.

"No more scaredy cat, no more kid, no more mole face," he said seriously. Shura was astonished she had been outwitted like that. She didn't try very visibly but in all truthfulness she kept herself one step ahead of the opponent at all times, thought maybe she didn't see Yukio as an opponent and that's why she slipped. Yukio pulled her up and sat down. Shura stood for a moment longer, dumbfounded, before she seated herself.

"Who knew he could have fun!" Soul laughed, setting off a chain reaction of boisterous laughter, mostly from the males in the room.

"Hold up!" Liz shouted. "She said Shura kiss Yukio, not the other way around. That didn't count!" Shura stood, pulled Yukio up by the shirt and kissed him briefly before dropping him on his ass.

"Aw it's my little brother's first kiss!" Rin fawned adorably. Yukio glared at him which only elicited heavier laughter from the energetic students. In the chaos of laughing and imitating facial expressions from during the game, Yukio and Shura slipped upstairs and went to bed at their opposite ends of the hall.

Yukio sat at his desk and gazed out the window for a moment, remembering his father brought tears to his teal eyes, but he couldn't bear to let the old man slip farther away.

_"Yukio is someone picking on you!" Rin jumped in the room with his fists up ready to take someone out. "What, there's no one here. What are you screaming about?" He questioned getting in his younger brother's face. _

_ "N-nothing nii-san," Yukio said, still eyeing the black form behind his brother. Rin waved his hand in front of Yukio's face. _

_ "What are you looking at?" Rin shook his head and put his hands on his brother's shoulders. "Let's play!" Rin smacked him on the head, shouted tag and ran off into another room leaving Yukio alone with the scary form. Yukio sat there and cried, 'why can I see these but Rin can't. What am I supposed to do?' he thought. _

_ "Yukio?" He heard Fujimoto call from the doorway. He tried to clear his face of snot and tears. _

_ "Y-yes dad!" Fujimoto walked over to the form Yukio had been frightened of earlier. _

_ "What are you doing in here?" He chanted something strange and the thing evaporated before Yukio's eyes. _

_ "You can see that too?" Yukio asked bewildered, still sitting on the ground. Fujimoto put his hand on the young child's head. _

_ "Why don't you join me Yukio? Instead of being afraid of these things, become stronger and show them who's boss," his father said holding up a mock fist. "One day I'm going to need your help protecting Rin," he added solemnly. "I'd like you to help me Yukio."_

_ "Me? Protect nii-san?" The frail boy couldn't fathom protecting his thuggishly protective elder sibling. _

_ "You love your brother, things may get confusing and hard, but always remember that Yukio." He held out his hand to the boy and helped him up. "I'm going to start taking you with me from now on, you can start learning about demons and how to get rid of them." Yukio was astonished. He couldn't believe he would protect his brother, that he would become strong like Rin._

"Thinking about your old man?" Shura asked from the hallway.

"I'm very busy Shura," Yukio said grabbing the closest stack of papers.

"He knew you know. That Rin would become a demon. He was almost certain the day you two were born and Mephisto set a bet on your lives. That clown never makes a bet he'll lose."

"What are you talking about Shura?"

"Shiro pushed you so hard because he knew Rin was going to need you. He's way too hot headed to have gotten this far on his own. He was always trying to give you a better promise of a future." Shura paused, deliberating her next words.

_"Shura," Shiro said to her after one of the first times she beat Yukio in the training setting. "Thank you for pushing him."_

_ "Huh? I'm just getting free lunch!" She laughed but then saw the paladin was very serious. _

_ "You challenge him. He needs that."_

_ "He's just a kid Shiro."_

_ "He's not going to be though. He and his brother almost certainly have death sentences from the vatican hanging over their little heads in the future."_

_ "What?! Why the hell would they kill a couple kids?" Shura was never a fan of the vatican's ways, and killing children was just another place her morals deviated from those of the order._

_ "Because they are special. You've met Rin, he's very good hearted but hot headed and rash, the order would see him as a threat the moment they laid eyes on him. But Yukio, being calm and competent, could keep his brother in check if anything ever happened to me and they were on they're own."_

_ "Why are you suddenly acting like a damn geezer?"_

_ It wasn't two weeks later that he approached her, asking to teach Rin how to wield a demon sword. _

Shura shook her head, she had no idea how spot on that man actually was. If he didn't have Yukio watching his back, he'd probably already be executed. And whether she liked it or not, Mephisto played a large part in keeping him alive too.

"He was prepared for the worst. He was training you to take his place as guardian and he wanted me to take his place in training Rin if he died. And look at where we are," she laughed humorlessly.

"He really was a great man," Yukio said mostly to himself. Shura nodded silently in agreement.

"You should sleep. You're always passed out when I run into ya." Yukio removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm very busy Shura. I sleep when I can." She smirked at how old the kid sounded and she formulated a scheme in her head as she walked silently from his room.


	8. A break at Meppyhland? Yukio v Shura?

For the next six days Yukio and Shura split the class between knight types and dragoon types of kids and taught them individually. Kid and Yukio had a target practice challenge and Shura made her students individually duel her at the beginning of day one. At the last day Yukio's class merged with Shura's to learn battle strategy and how to take on an opponent wielding a different weapon.

"Okay boys and girls, today is the last day of training camp before you go back to your respective schools." Shura started formally.

"Today we have something special planned for you," Yukio started. 'If by special you mean embarrassing four eyes,' Shura thought picturing the duels from the beginning of the training.

"Good or bad special?" Rin questioned suspiciously.

"We decided instead of training with your weapons, we would take a field trip to Mepphyland." Shura gaped at Yukio. He had never strayed from orders and here he was completely making up his own.

"Oy, what the hell are ya doin four eyes?" Shura whispered loudly in his ear.

"I'm letting them have some fun." Shura burst out in laughter.

"The guy who never has fun is giving a day off to everyone else? That's hilarious! What is it, a surprise mission? Scavenger hunt? What've you got planned?"

"Nothing. You're a talented fighter and you advocate having fun every now and then so I'm going to let the kids have some fun together. Start some ties between our two similar schools." Shura bowed her head, showing a semblance of respect for her colleague. 'He sure is something.'

"Well, you're going to have fun too." Shura said. Yukio either ignored her completely or simply did not hear her. They used a special key to go directly to the park.

"There's.. no one here?" Kid said.

"Correct. I spoke with John Faust and got the park reserved for this group today. Enjoy!" Everyone stared at Yukio, none of the kids having ever seen him smile that wide. Rin stared a moment longer than all the other students and then rushed over and jumped on his brother's back.

"What kind of demon possessed you Yukio!" Izumo summoned her familiars, the Academy meisters grasped their weapons, Shiemi had Nee at her shoulder and Bon and Koneko were prepared to chant.

"I'm not any more of a demon today than I was yesterday." He said, still smiling.

"You're actually less of a demon today. We actually saw the resemblance between you and Satan yesterday," Shima said meekly. He then whispered something in Bon's ear that made Bon turn red in the face.

"What is _wrong _with you Shima?!" Rin hopped off Yukio, determined to figure out what the pink haired monk had said. The Academy students relaxed and the weapons returned to their human forms.

In the end, the kids rode a few rides before deciding to just start a giant game of freeze tag.

"Why are ye doing work at a park?" Shura asked Yukio. They were seated on a bench next to various restaurant

"Because I have nothing to do otherwise," he said, adjusting his glasses and moving on to the next paper.

"You could go play."

"Rin's going to give me an ulcer..." Yukio complained, completely oblivious to Shura's last comment.

"Bwahaha!" She cackled, taking a swig of her soda. "What'd he do this time?" She snatched the paper from Yukio and scanned it, her face becoming more and more confused as she read.

"Why doesn't he try," Yukio questioned rhetorically.

"Maybe he's just really dumb." Shura shrugged. She looked back over and he was head first on the counter sleeping. She smiled, 'that kid is worn thin.'

"Do you like one of the Okumuras?" Tsubaki asked Shiemi.

"Yuki and Rin?" The shy blonde clarified. Tsubaki nodded. "Of course I like them. I've known Yuki since I was 13. He's very kind and caring and I love him. Rin is protective and sometimes arrogant but he has good intentions," her smile grew wider with each word she said about the twins.

"I meant would you date one of them," Tsubaki laughed.

"O-oh. I feel more like family for those two, since their parents and Shiro are gone now. They don't really have family besides each other."

"I barely know any of you but you seem to care about those two a lot, but I see it's not in a romantic way."

"They were my first friends...," she started gently. "Yuki helped me get into this school and Rin protected me while I was adjusting to going to school. They're the best friends you could have! I know Yuki seems tense right now but he's just really busy. He's a really good person I promise!"

"You're very sweet Shiemi."

"Bon may not seem like it either, but he's very protective. He always looks out for his friends." Tsubaki eyed her for a moment. "What?"

"You like him."

"I-I do not!" Shiemi's face was burning red.

"Well, I guess we'll be on our way," Stein said.

"No hard feelings Rin, I said I'd surpass God, I didn't mention anything about Satan!" He said laughing obnoxiously. "Besides, I let you win cause I'm such a big star I didn't need to beat you!"

"It was great meeting you," Konekomaru said to Crona. Shima was amongst Tsubaki, Patty and Liz. Maka was talking to Yukio; the two nerds, and Soul was talking to Bon; the two cool guys. Kid was moaning about how he'd have to fix his whole house when he got back and Izumo rolled her eyes at him.

When the Academy students had left the True Cross kids went to go have dinner with Rin in the twin's dorm. Yukio proceeded to follow until Shura yanked him back by the collar. "Uh uh. You're coming with me."

"Shura what are you doing?"

"Letting you blow off some steam," she said as she walked into the cram school, dragging Yukio by the wrist into the training room they fought in years ago.

"Why are we here?"

"To hunt dragons chicken." He rolled her eyes at Shura. "You either sit down and answer some personal questions, or you beat me at infinity mode and you can leave." Shura removed her exorcists jacket and took her place in the cage. "You coming?" He scowled at her, at least this time they'd make it out fully clothed.

"Eh wait!" Shura said, running to the side of the room and grabbing a beer. "Want a drink?" Yukio looked at her with 'are you freaking kidding me right now, Shura,' written all over his face. "Sorry, it's hard to remember you're not actually middle aged already." She laughed loudly.

"You are a terrible influence."

"Pft you don't see me as an influence."

"I looked at you as a challenge. I always wanted to beat you."

"Huh, Shiro was right then."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What did my dad say?"

"It's early in the night. We'll keep it light right now. Infinity mode!" The machine repeated off the command to the wooden sword wielding woman and started hurling targets at the two exorcists. Even though he was exhausted and stressed Yukio's reflexes were spot on, nailing every target dead on. Shura kept glancing over at the well toned fair skinned boy. 'He takes everything so seriously,' she thought. The targets came at them even more frequently; Shura could feel each one reverberate through her wooden sword tingling her hand. It was an unreal display of talent and skill; the two were very closely matched. Shots echoed through the room as Yukio annihilated every target, and balls rebounded off the wall as Shura kept them all away from the back of the cage.

"Getting tired?" Yukio asked, smiling at her over his shoulder, still not missing a single target.

"You wish," and with that retort she nearly let one slip past her. She kept it from getting by but hit it at an odd angle, rebounding it off the ceiling and sending it flying down onto Yukio's head. It knocked his glasses to the ground, leaving him dazed and blind against the assailing targets. "Oy, Yukio!" She went onto his side of the cage, keeping the balls from hitting him while she shut the program down. She crouched down next to him, picking up his broken glasses and putting them on her head.

"Alright... you win." He wasn't sure what happened, just that he was on the floor and couldn't see. He must have missed one... But how? How did it strike his head? Thinking about it just made his head hurt worse.

"I'll give ya five passes, after that you have to answer my questions and I will answer yours."

"You first." Yukio said firmly.

"Interesting. All right." She thought for a moment before she asked. "Do you miss Shiro?"

"Pass," he said quickly.

"Well shit kid you're passing the easy question!" She laughed.

"Do you slack off as much as you seem too?"

"Bwahaha. You caught me," she sighed. "I do that cause it pisses you off so much. They don't send drunk, unreliable exorcists to determine if Mephisto is raising a demon that could end Assiah. Why won't you ever let loose?"

"Pass. What did you mean about Shiro earlier?"

"Oy... He guessed by Mephisto's eagerness to wager your lives that Rin would awaken as a demon. He was trying to set up precautions to give you the best chance of living if you two were exposed. Do you like Moriyama?"

"Pass. How did you meet Shiro?"

"Ugh you're making even this boring! He rescued me from becoming a target for the order. You have to take four shots if you don't answer this one four eyes." Yukio had his head hanging between his knees, the pain increasing on the top of his head, what he could only assume as a bruise forming on his cheek and a pain flaring up in his shoulder where he had been hit after losing his glasses.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" Yukio groaned out a no without looking up at her. "Why?"

"Nope. My turn," he looked up at her, he wasn't hurt enough to let her get away with asking more than her share. Shura flicked him off but waited for him to think up a question for her anyway.

Most of the students were already asleep in the twins' dorm by the time Shura had helped Yukio back to it. She sat him on the bed and he immediately fell back, hitting his head on the wall and falling to the pillow. Shura laughed and set out a glass of water and some pain killer for him in the morning.

"You'll thank me later," she said, tousling his hair as she walked out. "Woops!" She said as she realized she had his glasses on top of her head. "Eh, he has spares," she said as she continued on to her room.

He woke in the morning to a fierce headache, sore jaw, and aching shoulder. He turned over to his nightstand.

_Yukio, _

_ Here's some pain killer, sorry I rebounded that ball on your head. I still won though. :-) _

_ Shura 3_

He had thought Rin would be the death of him, either directly or indirectly. But now he was thinking Shura might be the one to make him come undone. He glanced over and saw Rin's bunk was empty. Rin was already up? That's an omen. "Maybe the _world_ will end before Rin kills me."


	9. Satan makes his move?

"Where's Yuki?" Shiemi asked. Class was about to start and he wasn't here yet.

"I dunno. Shura said to leave him alone this morning." Shiemi looked at Rin concerned when the door opened and a disheveled and bruised Yukio walked in. He kept wincing at the bright lights from the windows and his jacket was unfastened.

"Good morning," he said gently.

"Good morning," the class responded, various looks of confusion on each of their faces.

"Hey, who's that?" Shima said as a girl of their age entered the room.

"Hello. Can I help you?" Yukio asked politely.

"Mephisto Pheles said to give this to you." She said, wide brown eyes eyeing the teacher as she handed him a note.

_Mr. Okumura,_

_ This young lady has been in your class the past week while you were doing the boot camp. She received a temptaint when she was seven. She has a very unique story, you should speak with her sometime. Forgot to mention it earlier! Be nice!_

"I'm Tsugumi Shibata."

"Welcome to anti-demon pharmacology. Have a seat anywhere." She sat down at the empty desk to the right of Rin and Shiemi's table.

At the end of class Yukio asked her to stay back for a moment.

"I just wanted to let you know you can come to me if you ever need any help," Yukio said smiling.

"Thank you Sensei." She said politely, her wavy brown hair reminded Yukio much of his own mother. Yukio's phone rang suddenly.

"Please excuse me," he said. "Okumura." He paused for a moment. "Why is my speculation needed?" His facial expression turned tense as he listened to the call, his head pounding from the stress and from last night with Shura. He hung up the phone. "I'm afraid I have a mission to attend to," he said serenely. When he walked out the door Shiemi gave him a worried glance.

"What's wrong Yuki?"

"I have a mission. Please take care of Ms. Shibata."

"H-hi!" Shiemi said loudly when Tsugumi came out of the class. "I'm Shiemi Moriyama!"

"I'm Tsugumi."

"Be my friend!" Tsugumi looked at the eager blonde girl.

"Okay," she said smiling. Shima sauntered over to them.

"I'm Renzou Shima," he said taking Tsugumi's hand. "What brings you to the cram school?"

"I got a tempaint when I was seven when my father got too into a suburban legend for a story. The things I saw started to frighten me and I found this place. The director got me in to the high school and cram school. I'm going to be a nurse."

"Well if you ever need help, here's my number," he said handing her a piece of paper.

"What are you going to do Shima? You're barely passing yourself." Izumo said walking towards the growing group.

"I can just be a comfort. I never said it was academic help," he said, face turning red at her insult.

"Izumo is very smart, and so is Yuki!" Shiemi said. Izumo rolled her eyes at the excitement of Shiemi. "I'm good with medicinal herbs but honestly I struggle with these classes sometimes too."

"It's nice to meet you all."

Tsugumi spent the rest of the day, enjoying the company of her new exorcist friends and the meals Rin prepared in the dorm. Shiemi immediately took to the sweet girl, Izumo mostly just ignored her existence, Shima returned to pursuing Izumo without success, Bon gave Tsugumi a little background of exorcism and Konekomaru added in any helpful information he could think of.

"Mr. Okumura, you're here," a female exorcist said as Yukio walked onto the scene.

"What happened exactly," he said coldly, his glasses glaring even in the darkness of the night.

"We aren't exactly sure."

"What _do_ we know?" Yukio asked impatiently.

"The person that was with him said he began bleeding from the eyes nose and mouth before he fell to the ground encased in flames. His account makes it sound like spontaneous combustion. Third one this week," a male exorcist next to Yukio said.

"Third?" He asked shocked. On the phone, Mephisto had made it sound like this was the first incident.

"The other two occurred while you were off duty. Two cases of people finding burnt corpses with blood coming from the facial orifices." Yukio stared angrily at the ground, fearful of what this could mean for his brother. The man that was killed was a priest from the town immediately south of True Cross Town.

"Where did the other two occur?"

"Within close proximity of our school. They seem to be completely unrelated except for that they were all of high religious stature."

"So young Okumura. What is your thought on the event?" Mephisto asked, coming up to the two exorcists, making flamboyant gestures as he walked.

"Why didn't you mention there were two other similar incidents?" Mephisto gave a dramatic shrug.

"Because you're paranoid enough already Yukio," Shura said nonchalantly from behind him.

"Did you know about this?" Yukio asked her. She nodded.

"Why do you think I made ya cool off some last night?" She asked smiling as Yukio grimaced from a headache. "Oh and by the way, ya hit yer head on the wall going back to your room." She playfully knocked her fist against the sore spot on his head, making hollow skull sounds with her mouth.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He asked her, his shoulders tense and the vein in his head pulsing.

"I forgot geeze. I figured you'd remember hitting your own head. Even left you some pain killers for that. You should thank me instead of yelling four eyes." She waved him off in a dismissive fashion. "Oh, and here are your glasses. I forgot to give them back." Yukio rubbed his forehead, trying to calm the urge to shoot his co-worker. 'Just with a vitamin capsule, it wouldn't hurt her that bad,' he reasoned with himself before realizing he had lost his cool again. He regained most of his usual composure quickly, but still thought to himself, 'She can be so damn irritating.'

"You said you wouldn't call me nicknames."

"Actually, I said I wouldn't call you wimpy or chicken. Four eyes is still on the table," She said winking. He realized she had gotten him off topic and brought the conversation back to the combustions.

"Regardless of that. I was talking about the attacks not about hitting my head," he said calmly.

"Oh. That," she laughed. "The first one happened the first day of boot camp. That's why I didn't come to the mission. I had a little bit on my mind," she said, arms behind her head. She didn't look concerned at all, positively relaxed, and she was lying to him. It made Yukio's hand twitch in the direction of his gun. He suppressed the want to shoot her and called her out on her lie.

"You didn't come because you overslept," Yukio corrected. "You always do on morning missions." Mephisto listened to their conversation with a devilish smile, oh how he loved drama and conflict!

"Well mornings _are _fer sleeping." She continued rambling on but Yukio could not get the earlier phone call from his head. He took off his glasses and rubbed his tired teal eyes with his other hand, the director's words bouncing around his skull, getting louder each time the thought repeated.

_"Okumura," the director's voice said from his phone. _

_ "Okumura," he confirmed. _

_ "I would like your speculation on an intriguing occurrence."_

_ "Why is my speculation needed?"_

_ "It would seem Satan has made his first move." _

'Why... What is he doing...' Yukio was panicked, he didn't know how to deal with this. Shura eyed him worriedly.

"Mr. Okumura?" The director asked.

"I-I don't know," the young boy was at a loss for words.

"He already knows where a suitable vessel is, so what could he be hoping to accomplish?" Another exorcist asked, eyeing Yukio.

"Maybe Yukio has the same willpower as Shiro," Shura said. Yukio stared at her, confused that she would actually have something positive to say about the boy she always put down.

"What about Rin Okumura?" Mephisto asked.

"Rin wouldn't allow it." Yukio defended. "He isn't even smart enough to be swayed by a demon and he can't stand our birth father."

"And what about yourself Mr. Okumura?" Yukio scowled at the ground.

"It has been observed by some that my own personality leaves me susceptible to demonic temptation."

"Yukio-" Shura started.

"You said that yourself Ms. Kirigakure. I don't know why it would seem he is trying to locate a new host. He hasn't attempted to target myself or anyone else prior to these three incidents."

"We shall just have to wait and see," Mephisto said as Arthur joined the specialized group.

"So your father has attempted to re-enter Assiah Okumura," he said smugly, his long blonde hair flowing about. Shura frowned at the egotistical paladin and stuck her tongue out at his attitude.

"It would appear Satan is trying to claim a new vessel," Mephisto clarified.

"So he has a plan," Angel pondered. "The Vatican will surely be interested in this."

"Oy, baldy. What's your problem? No one expected Satan to be dormant forever," Shura said.

"But what we expected all along is true. The son of Satan is a danger."

"If it weren't for Rin there would be no Assiah!" Shura yelled at the cocky paladin.

"If it weren't for his brother, Ms. Shura, Satan wouldn't have had a vessel to use anyway," Shura cursed at the paladin. 'He's right... And the vatican could see it that way... Damn you Angel... I oughta shave his head while he's asleep, then maybe that sword wouldn't help his lazy ass,' she thought, her mind going off on a tangent. Mephisto sat back, a passive grin on his face as the situation unfolded itself.

"Well this is just your personal opinion Arthur, the grigori have not acted against our young teacher," Mephisto said, raising his eyebrow at Yukio's silence.

"It is not my own opinion. In light of recent events the future of the younger son of satan is no longer certain. His existence is a clear threat to the safety of Assiah, and for that reason he was informed he would be put on trial to allow the Grigori to determine if it is a _imminent _threat." Angel said.


	10. Does everything come back to haunt you?

"What the hell Yukio!?" Shura yelled.

"It would seem they have some things to talk about," Mephisto said gesturing for the others to give the two some space.

"You are so frustrating!" She yelled, grabbing him around the neck and dragging him to the nearest door.

"Shura what are you doing?"

"Just shut the hell up," she growled. It was at times like these Yukio was certain she had demon blood in her somewhere. She forced a key into the lock and pulled Yukio into an empty corridor. She pushed him into a cutout in the wall, shadows cast across his face from where the wall beside him blocked the light. Her forearm across his chest her pink eyes gleamed, wet as if with tears but fierce enough to strike fear into any man's heart. "When were you going to mention you were on trial for your _life?"_ His gaze was to the ground, not wanting to look her in the eyes. She used her other hand to make him look at her. "Have you told Rin he may not have a brother in a few days?"

"No."

"Why the hell did you keep that a secret? It's no wonder you walk around looking like you're sick to your stomach, but I only know that now that _Arthur_ told me! You are such an ass, Yukio!"

"There was no reason to tell you. You can't do anything."

"The hell I can't."

"What will you do, Shura? You know as well as I do, they have a verdict in their heads already and nothing you or I say or do is going to change that," he said, his voice raising as he glared at her.

"Defensive chicken!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me!" Yukio just stared at her, "I'm waiting."

"Get away from me Shura," he said in a tone that was calm but frighteningly intense.

"You say you wanna protect people but you're nothing but a coward!"

"What do you want from me!?"

"I want you to feel something! You act distant and detached like you don't care."

"Well, I don't have much time before the trial, I should get going."

"Oh no you don't," she said, applying more pressure to his chest. She yanked his glasses off and threw them on the ground, crushing them beneath her boot. "Do you want to die Yukio?"

"No."

"Why?"

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"Why do you want to live?"

"To protect Rin."

"That's pathetic."

"Compared to you? What do you live for?"

"Do you do anything for yourself?"

"Why does that matter?!"

"Because it's what puts you in danger!"

"Protecting people does not put me in danger."

"Yes it does four eyes. How easy was it for Egin to get you on his side by lying to you about helping Rin?"

"That's different," he muttered.

"No it's not. A demon could come along and say the same kind of thing and you would let it in because you're delusional!"

"Shut _up!"_

"You think you're helping people but do you know how much it would hurt Rin to lose you? Do you know how screwed up he would be? And Moriyama? Do you even care?!"

"I said shut up!" Shura grabbed the back of his head, pressing her lips to his and pulling away quickly.

"Do you even care how it would hurt me, four eyes?" She released him and walked away from the speechless exorcists without another word.

'What the hell...' He shook his head and walked away, heading back to his and Rin's dorm.

"I'm back," he called as he walked into the dorm.

"Sit your ass down bro," Rin said when he walked into the kitchen. He mentally counted all the people in the room. All the students were there, plus one extra, which he assumed was the new girl, and Shura was brooding in the corner, glaring at Yukio even though he couldn't see the anger in her fire like eyes.

"What is this about nii-san? I have a lot of work to do," he said, starting to walk away. Rin flamed up and grabbed his brother's collar.

"Sit down dammit." He growled. Yukio obeyed, taking off his jacket and loosening his tie.

"What is everyone doing here?" Yukio asked, rubbing his eyes, wishing he could actually see what was going on, wishing Shura hadn't defiled his glasses.

"Shura told me Angel came to visit you today," Rin said, his expression cold with his arms folded across his chest.

"She did," Yukio commented, turning to glare in what he hoped was her direction, but he couldn't really tell people apart.

"You're on trial?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell us Yuki?" Shiemi asked, a heart broken look on her little face.

"Because you would all worry yourselves."

"And are we not allowed to do that?" Rin asked, fists on his hips getting in his brother's face.

"It's unnecessary."

"You think everything you can't do is unnecessary!" Rin yelled at him.

"There's nothing you could do nii-san."

"Well you wouldn't even give us a chance," Shiemi said, her eyes watering. Bon was fuming next to her. He stood, gorilla like, and stalked over to Yukio.

"What is wrong with you two?" He said, looking between Yukio and Rin.

"Don't lump me with him," Yukio said.

"The hell!" Rin shouted, outraged.

"You both do everything by yourselves and you end up hurting your friends! Yeah Okumura, you're our teacher but we see you as a friend so get your head out of your ass and accept some help or I'll-" Shima was at Bon's shoulder, trying to gently pull him away from their teacher.

"Come on Bon, no need to threaten anybody," Shima said meekly.

"Bon, calm down," Koneko said gently.

"Screw you guys, aren't you pissed?! I could kick his ass right now."

"Oy Suguro," Shura yelled from across the room. He winced, expecting to get called down by Shura but was surprised by the odd teacher when she told him to "knock some sense into the kid if he had ta."

"When's your trial?" Bon asked.

"Monday." Rin was counting out on his fingers, trying to figure out when that was.

"Two days from now," Bon said, saving Rin from having to finish his math, his brain was already frying. "What's it on the grounds of?" Before Yukio could respond Shura was walking over and explaining.

"The Vatican have convinced themselves that Satan is looking for a vessel. Yukio, being susceptible to possession and a clear target for Satan, is on trial to determine if he is too much of a risk to be kept alive."

"Do they not recall it was Yukio and Rin that saved Assiah?" Izumo said, showing obvious contempt for the Vatican's ideas.

"They remember it was because Yukio followed Egin that Assiah was ever in danger," Konekomaru put together.

"Exactly. And the only ones that saw Yukio was possessed by Satan and then even helped save Assiah at all are people with emotional ties to him. In other words, unreliable sources for testimony." Shura said. The building shook and everyone looked to Rin, who was glaring at the wall he had just punched and cracked.

"Rin?" Shiemi asked concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Do you think I'm alright?" He asked softly, his arms falling to his sides limply.

"Mr. Okumura," Tsugumi piped up from beside Konekomaru.

"What," he sighed out.

"Is it possible to convince them you aren't a danger?"

"I don't know. The only reason Rin was allowed to live at first was because the Vatican had first hand witness that he could and would protect them from demonic attack." Tsugumi thought for a moment.

"So the main problem is lack of reliable witness?" She asked.

"And just the fact I'm the son of Satan."

"Egin was all human and he was plenty evil," Rin mumbled into the wall, resting his head on the cool surface. "You can't say someone is evil just because they are part demon, or good just because they're a human."

"If the Vatican thought your way we wouldn't even have a problem!" Shura said sarcastically.

"What if we could make them think that way?" Tsugumi said.

"It probably won't make a difference," Yukio said.

"You're walking into this things like you've already lost!" Rin spun around, yelling at his twin.

"I'm being realistic."

"You're being pessimistic." Rin grumbled.

"We have two days to create a convincing argument, maybe if you'd at least act like you had a chance we could get something done," Izumo complained. The door slammed and Rin looked around, noting that Shura was gone. 'Why would she leave now? Doesn't she want to help?'

"Could we get Takara to help?" Koneko asked.

"That dude's weird," Rin said.

"He's not close to Mr. Okumura, he might be able to help," Bon said.

"Someone should be taking notes," Rin said. "I'm never gonna remember any of this," he said sitting down at the same table as Yukio with his hand under his chin, blowing his hair out of his face.

"I'll do it!" Shiemi shouted.

"I'll go get you a notepad," Rin said to Shiemi as he dragged himself up. He thumped Yukio violently on the back of the head as he walked by, "and I'll get the four eyed mole a new pair of glasses." Everyone was silent until Rin returned, unsure of how to proceed without him. He tossed the writing utensils in front of Shiemi and grabbed Yukio's hand, thrusting the glasses into it.

"So Takara could help," Koneko reiterated.

"Their going to be fixated on the night Yukio was possessed," Rin said. "Takara wasn't with us."

"Shit," Bon said.

"It was only us, Ms. Shura and the Paladin," Shima said.

"What about the paladin testifying?" Tsugumi offered.

"He despises anything with demonic blood. There's no way he would defend me," Yukio said.

"What about other exorcists you've worked with? Ones that know you are a focused exorcist?" Koneko asked Yukio.

"I don't know."

"Yuki you have got to help us!" Shiemi shouted at him. Her face was red with anger.

"Shiemi?" Yukio asked.

"Oh come now four eyes," Rin started. "She's as hurt as I am you didn't tell us."

"I'm your friend Yuki! We all are!" Yukio just stared at her.

"You're more than just a teacher to us Mr. Okumura," Izumo said quietly.

"You may just see us as your students but you are a friend. So stop acting like you're alone in this!" Bon shouted. "This is one place you could learn something from Rin." Rin beamed at the idea of him as a good example for something. "He has taken everything I thought about demons and flipped it on it's head."

"Well I'm kind of an idiot so-" Rin started, a smile growing on his face, before Bon angrily cut him off.

"You are not an idiot! You convinced Shura not to turn you in, Shima Koneko and I to be friends with you, the Vatican not to kill you, Mr. Fujimoto not to kill you, Mephisto not to kill you." Rin stared at Bon wide eyed. "I don't know how the hell you do it, but you are so annoyingly persistent and contagiously optimistic. If we could get Rin to defend you I have no doubt you'd be fine, but," Bon started before Rin could volunteer himself. "I think we all agree having Rin up there could cause more harm than good, since you're his twin brother the ties are too close for him to help. And if things start going south, Rin you have a temper tantrum in there and he's a goner." Rin's tail, that had been swaying excitedly with the praise from his schoolmate, fell suddenly when Rin realized he could just as easily doom his brother as he could save him.

"Yeah Rin doesn't give up," Shima said. "It was harder to ignore the little demon that it was to be friends with him." Rin glared at the pink haired monk. "It't not a bad thing!" Shima said quickly, trying to calm the devil child.

"Yuki, you are a good person. We all know that." Shiemi said gently.

"You don't stand up for yourself though," Izumo said snidely. Yukio was silent. "Even now you won't!" She laughed bitterly. "We saw you getting reamed once and you didn't defend yourself in the least. It's unfair to yourself, Mr. Okumura."

"Izumo you do have a way with words," Shima fawned over her as Izumo made a look of distaste for the monk.

"If you aren't going to be helpful then be quiet," she said angrily to him, stamping her foot for emphasis.

"Hehe, sorry."

"Honestly Shima what do you see in her?" Bon whispered to his childhood friend.

"I'm making food," Rin said, silencing everyone as he walked stiffly into the main kitchen. They heard pots and pans clashing about and utensils were clanking together as Rin cooked.

"He's angry.." Yukio mumbled.

"He's not the only one Yuki." Shiemi said.

"Huh?"

"Ms. Kirigakure seems pretty ticked with you too," Bon said.

"We aren't happy either," Izumo said, the others nodding in confirmation.

"Why wouldn't you tell us Yuki?" He opened his mouth but before he could say anything Bon cut him off.

"And no bull shit about 'not wanting to worry us!'" Bon warned.

"You are a very optimistic group. I didn't want to get in your heads I could talk my way out of this and everything would be ok. I'm sure I'm coming out with a death sentence.. I'm just praying Rin, and all of you if the Vatican think you made too much of an uproar, don't end with the same fate." A loud snap came from the kitchen and they turned around and saw a splintered spoon in Rin's hand.

"Because you can't handle not be able to protect us? Is that it?" Rin said, glowering at Yukio from the door of the kitchen.

"Rin," Shiemi started.

"_You _can't be the one who sends us to our grave, _you_ can't stomach dragging us down with you. It's all about _you!_ How would _I_ feel, Shiemi, Shura, Bon, Shima, how would everyone react to not even being able to _try_ to help protect you?" Rin threw the handle end of the broken spoon at his brother in his teary rage. "Could you be any more selfish?" Rin let the other end fall to the floor with a clatter. Tsugumi was watching with glassy eyes. She barely knew them but was already so drawn in, perhaps an effect of the demonic charm of the Okumura brothers. Bon pulled the teacher up from his seat by the collar.

"You can let us help you, or we can get Ms. Shura to make you let us help," he practically snarled.

"Ryuji," Shiemi said, putting her little hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him, "you don't need to threaten Yuki." Bon dropped the teacher back to where the seat was, but Shura had returned and stolen it out from under him, leaving Yukio to fall flat on his butt again. Shiemi took hold of Bon's hand, squeezing it until his face was back to a normal color and degree of irritation.

"Are we actually going to do anything or just sit here and moan about things that already happened?" Izumo asked as she sat down.

"She's right. We have no defense," Bon said, squeezing Shiemi's hand once more before releasing it.

"Then let's make one!" Shiemi said.

"You said that like twice already, are we actually going to do something this time?" Shima asked, obviously taking Izumo's side.

"Let's start an argument about the positive things in Okumura and start thinking of how we can rebut the obvious argument against him," Koneko said. All the students starting piping in and Shiemi hurried to write down as many as she could. "Moriyama will you read what you wrote?"

"Mm! Qualified exorcist, reliable teacher, unmatched dragoon abilities, son of the previous Paladin, unknown potential, babysits Rin Okumura-"

"I don't need babysitting!"

"Shut up or I'll knock you out Rin!" Bon threatened.

"Um... Rapid career growth, determined, focused, he always follows orders, level headed, and other forms of he's a good exorcist, teacher and someone said good kisser." Shiemi rambled on.

"Yukio hasn't kissed any-" Rin started when Yukio blocked his twin's mouth with his hand.

"Noihus had many of those qualities and sheltered his demon possessed wife and attacked Rin, I don't think we'll get far with that argument." Rin bit Yukio's hand, causing him to pull it away rapidly and scowl at his 'elder' twin.

**Hey everybody! Wow this feels weird, I haven't written an author's note in a long time haha. Anyway. The DWMA kids will be back, I just was writing this part with them and I couldn't make it work the way I wanted it to. So I decided I'll post a new chapter when this one gets three reviews or the story gets five new ones total. Hope you enjoyed! Review!**

**Lifehouse Fanatic**


	11. Do these kids ever catch a break?

It seemed the keeper of time was not in the kids favor. Rin laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling, too afraid if he went to sleep he would miss the trial and lose his brother.

Alike Rin in more ways than she would admit, Shura was also sleep deprived, pestering Angel all night. After much brainstorming with the exwires Shura realized Yukio's fate was set before the trial began. He was a dead man unless she could pull a damn good trick from her magically sealed body. As much as it pained her, she realized his best chance was if the egotistical paladin defended him.

"You know that boy doesn't have a chance as it is. They will give a death verdict in two seconds."

"He's a demon. He's a threat and should be treated as one."

"Angel you damn well know Yukio is not an evil person."

"He is a demon."

"Is that the only thing you can say baldy?"

"Shura, he helped create the Gehenna gate that Satan used in the attempt to swallow Assiah."

"He thought they could end Gehenna and you know it!" Shura screamed at the dense paladin in the close quarters of the office, her shrill voice echoing in his ears.

"He acted against the Knights of the True Cross."

"He saved your life baldy!"

"Why do you insist on pointlessly mocking my hairstyle?"

"You're going to let a child die because of your prejudice. At least Shiro admitted he didn't know how everything was supposed to be, you won't even consider things might not be quite so black and white!"

"Demons are evil. Exorcists get rid of them. We do not protect them."

"Hell part of your power comes from a fucking demon sword! Tamers fight using demons. Mephisto has turned his back on his demonic family and is helping us whether you trust his intentions or not. Demon blood does not inherently make a person evil!"

"You sound like the older twin," Arthur said. Shura scoffed at him.

"It ain't a damn bad thing," she said to him hostilely. Bursting out laughing she added, "at least the kid has some original thoughts. You just follow everything you're told like a puppet. You know I'm a better fighter but I can't be controlled like you can."

"Shura you can't be relied upon. That's why I'm better than you."

"You're just saying that because I didn't turn Rin in." She whined, waving off his complaint.

"I'm saying that because Assiah would be safer if you had exterminated the satanic spawn."

"Assiah wouldn't exist if I'd killed them!" She pulled his tousled hair off his face, examining his ears. "Can you not hear a damn word I've said? Maybe you should clean out your ears, baldy."

"Shura, how can you be sure he's not a threat?" Shura smiled, he was actually considering her point of view for once.

"How can you be sure anyone isn't a threat," she shrugged. "You have to have some faith."

"Coming from the woman who hasn't had faith in God her whole life." She walked up to where the paladin was sitting and put her hands on his desk and stared into his blue eyes, her face inches from his.

"God hasn't given me any reason to have faith in him. That boy, the boy you are going to let die for no other reason than that his father is a demon, has shown me I can have faith in him." Angel stared at the confident and sincere woman, her eyes not giving away even a ghost of fear that she was wrong about the boy.

"You love him." A knock came at the door.

"Arthur Auguste Angel, the Vatican is convening for the trial."

"I understand." The blonde paladin nodded his head at Shura as he walked past her, shutting the door behind him, leaving her alone.

"Shit." She said. That was the best shot she had. There was one more idea she had, but she didn't know if it would be enough to talk the Vatican out of killing the twin that could be used as a satanic vessel.

"Okumura Yukio," the orderly called.

"Yes," he said from the center podium.

"In light of recent events, your existence has become a problem in the eyes of the Vatican."

"I understand," he said solemnly.

"The events of November 27th were overlooked because the threat of Satan was not immediate. However, it would seem he is planning something. We have no proof that you would not either assist your father or be unable to resist. What do you say to this?"

"I would never do anything to threaten Assiah," Yukio said.

"Were you working in compliance with Ernest Frederick Egin?"

"Yes."

"Were you aware of his intentions to overthrow the Vatican and assume sole control?"

"Yes." Several voices stood out from the crowd of voices, "he's a traitor," "kill him now," "he can't be trusted!"

"Silence!" The man at the head of the room shouted.

"Okumura Yukio, where you aware that your actions went against your oath to obey the Vatican as an exorcist?"

"I was."

"What the hell is he doing," Shura muttered to herself. "He's setting himself up to be killed."

"Why did you go against your oath?"

"Because he convinced me that it was the Vatican that killed my mother."

"So much for a exorcist prodigy," he heard someone in the crowd say.

"And he told me he was going to destroy Gehenna and make my brother human again." For once, Yukio's answer did not make the crowd speak but be silent.

"Clarify this for me, Egin was not attempting to open a Gehenna gate for Satan's uses?" Angel asked.

"No. He tried to destroy Gehenna. When that failed, Satan used the gate for his personal vendetta."

"And he began by possessing you?" Angel questioned.

"He told me Egin lied about my mother. And showed me what happened."

"You willingly let him invade your body?" The middle Grigori asked.

"At first yes. I did not resist. I needed to know the truth about my mother and he was the only one that had it."

"So you were swayed by personal interest?"

"Yes." Another wave of conversation came from the audience of the hearing. The Grigori were huddled together, speaking about the last answer.

"How did you escape possession?"

"My brother rescued my soul from Satan."

"You did not break free yourself?"

"No."

"Is it a reasonable assumption that you would be a target for possession by Satan in the future?"

"Yes. A body that can hold his power without destroying itself would be an indispensable tool."

"How can we be certain you were possessed and not acting for Satan?"

"You doubt that fact?"

"No one has ever regained his or herself after possession, or lived through a possession. How are we to be sure you are a anomaly and not just a spy infiltrating the Order to help your father take over Assiah?"

"If you would sir," Angel interrupted.

"Angel?" He questioned.

"If I could say something."

"Proceed."

"As I have heard, the main argument against Yukio Okumura is that it cannot be determined if he aided Satan or was possessed by Satan, therefore he is considered a threat to Assiah."

"That is a prioritizing concern," one of the masked grigori said.

"I, Arthur Auguste Angel, was on the roof of True Cross when Satan ventured into Assiah."

"State your, for the official record, your reason for being there Angel," the head of the trial spoke.

"I was ordered to ensure no one disrupted Egin and Okumura's proceedings on the roof." A whisper went throughout the crowd and Shura's jaw tightened.

'Well _shit_, that sounds bad,' Shura thought.

"What the hell is he doing?" Rin asked her. Shura tilted her head sideways.

"Why would I know?"

"Don't fuck with me Shura."

"That's Miss Shura to you kid." She thrust her hand over the boys mouth when order was called and the orderly spoke again.

"Could you explain for everyone, your understanding of these proceedings?"

"Egin planned to launch a missile he called the Messiah into Gehenna. He was certain it would destroy the demonic realm, Satan himself included."

"Why were you not to be at Egin's side enacting his plan? As acting paladin that should have been your first duty."

"He relieved me of my post as Paladin, awarding it instead to the younger Okumura brother."

"Do you believe Okumura and Egin were conspiring together to fuse Assiah?" Rin jerked, this is about to go very, very bad, he thought. He crouched, putting himself in position to spring forward at the paladin when Shura smashed his face into the cement wall.

"Calm the hell down Rin!" She whispered urgently into his ear. "What good will it do for you to go out in a fiery fit and scare everybody? You'll seal both your fates." Clenching his fists Rin calmed his anger, hoping Shura knew what she was doing. She had too much faith in Angel for his liking.

"No. Okumura was told Egin could destroy Gehenna. While his acts may have been against the Grigori he was trying to benefit Assiah." The conversations flared like fire on gasoline when the Paladin defended the spawn of satan. "He was willing to end his own life before Satan could destroy Assiah."

"You witnessed this Angel?"

"Yes." He said firmly, his eye glancing right and making contact with the bright pink eyes holding down Rin. "The Okumura twins are the sole reason Assiah still stands. Without them, we could never have closed the gate."

"This is a very interesting turn of events." The orderly said.

"We shall reconvene in fifteen minutes and allow the Grigori to deliberate." Two burly exorcists took hold of Yukio and led him below. Shura released her grip on Rin and ran out of the room.

"Did she do that?" Koneko asked.

"Do what?" Shima said.

"Arthur. He said anything that called itself a demon had a right to be killed that night, but he's defending Okumura now. I think Ms. Shura had something to do with that," Koneko explained.

"Well, Ms. Shura is a very attractive woman," Shima fawned, his eyes popping like big pink hearts.

"She's respectable Shima," Bon said, knocking his friend on the head.

"And she likes Yuki," Shiemi said.

"I can't believe the guy that wanted to kill me is defending Mr. Okumura," Izumo complained.

"What do you guys think is going to happen?" Koneko asked.

"Hell if I know," Bon said. Rin suddenly perked up and ran out of the room the same direction Shura had gone.

"What's with him?" Shima asked. The other exwires simply shrugged. Rin always had odd behavior. The trial began to fill again and Rin and Shura had not returned. Yukio was delivered back to the podium and the orderly stood.

"Okumura Yukio. The Grigori decided that the risk of allowing you to remain in the Order is too great. We have no proof that you were innocent of the accused crimes and no certainty you will not attack the Order with your father at a later date. You are to be excommunicated from the order and to ensure the safety of Assiah, you will be executed at dawn tomorrow."

"Oy!" Shura yelled. "We aren't done here." The orderly opened his mouth but was silenced by her icy glare. Her footsteps echoed, her heart pounding in her ears as she walked to Yukio. Her legs trembled ever so slightly, her blood burning in her veins. She kept her furious pink eyes locked on the orderly, daring him to say another word. She grabbed Yukio roughly by the shoulder and pushed him behind her. "You all remember Shiro Fujimoto. Yes?" Rin watched, his focus solely on the fiery haired woman, from the shadows. His demon heart burned, longing to be set free, to allow it's anger to be unleashed, and his human heart pulled itself apart at the thought of losing his last remaining family. The grigori's eyes were shielded but their mouths were fixed in a frown. Glancing around the room there were three types of people: ones who's faces were about to burst in outrage, one's that looked like they couldn't give a shit whether the boy in front of them was killed or they had pizza for dinner, one's like the cram school students, faces framed in horror and suspense at the idea of losing their friend, and Rin, his face stone cold, not betraying his emotion.

_"You could just as easily seal both your fates!"_ He remembered Shura screaming at him.

"Do you have a point Shura."

"He, is the father and guardian of Yukio Okumura. The one who trained him in exorcism. The one who kept Satan out with sheer willpower for fifteen years. Who's to say this boy is any different?"

"We have no proof he has the same mental strength."

"You do have proof those two twins are the only ones that can put the Knights of the True Cross on the offensive side!" She shouted. The room fell quiet.

"She did it," Rin said from behind everyone. _That was her trump card. But was it enough..._

"Rin?!" Shiemi asked, spinning around from in front of Bon. She hadn't heard him come back.

"Egin knew he could not open Gehenna gate without _both_ the twins' blood. If you ever hope to take the battle to Satan instead of constantly being blindsided you need those two!" She screamed, eyes gleaming dangerously. The air hung heavy in the court, the silence screaming in Shura's tense ears.

"The Grigori would like to ask all persons not related to or participating in the trial of the accused to exit." Bon scowled, his face darker than that of the demon King of earth in the face of defeat. Rin was the only soul that remained in the stands. The last clack of footsteps faded and the doors swung heavily closed. The air chilled and the light seemed to dim in the wait. His hands dug painfully into his biceps as he stood, arms crossed rigidly as he suppressed the fire in his veins. "Would Rin Okumura please join us." Rin's feet moved without him thinking about it. His mind was blank as he approached his brother.

_"You wanna be a doctor?" His little brother had jumped. He was always so scared. _

_ "Mm," He affirmed quietly. Rin had grabbed him by the shoulders._

_ "I know you can do it!" Yukio's thick framed glasses sat atop his little nose, his watery teal eyes shining behind them. "And if anybody gets in the way I'll get em!" Yukio had smiled at his brother. Fixing things with his fists. "Then you can help me get fixed up." Shiro had been teaching Yukio how to treat Rin's injuries since he was only four. He'd aspired to be a doctor and help people his entire life. _

'He won't be able to help anyone if they kill him here,' Rin thought. His feet stopped and he looking up at Shura's blazing eyes. The pink threatened him to keep cool no matter what. It was the same look she'd given him at the camping trip before he blew up trying to help Shiemi. For once, Arthur wasn't smug. He listened as the Grigori spoke to him.

"Okumura Rin. Are you prepared to take action if Satan attacks your brother again, and you are unable to reclaim his soul?" Arthur asked. Rin's eyes darkened. _Am I prepared to kill my brother if he becomes a threat,'_ he thought. Shura discretely stepped on his foot, knocking his anger off course.

"No."

"I will," Shura said. Rin prepared to lunge at her for saying that when Yukio turned his gaze to him. His teal eyes were soft behind his glasses, and all Rin could see was the little kid that always got bullied. He couldn't find the exorcist he'd grown up to be, he saw the vulnerable boy people picked on. They were still picking on him. Rin saw now that this was their deciding question. If he becomes a threat, are they going to do something about it. _She saved his life by saying she'd kill him._ If Rin were smarter he'd see the irony that was created but he just saw how backwards the knights of the true cross really were. They don't value life unless it's human. Demons are dead to them. That made Rin wonder, _would Yukio and I be alive if Shiro wasn't paladin? What if someone like Arthur were sent out to kill us?_ _What if Satan hadn't hurt Egin so bad he was bedridden. What if he'd been the one to come after us?_ 'We wouldn't be here.' He thought.

"Sorry I'm late!" Mephisto said as he poofed into the room, flamboyantly dressed as always.

"Lord Pheles," Arthur acknowledged, his mouth turned down at the demon.

"The Okumura _twins_ could very well be the saving grace of Assiah. You already witnessed the pure strength of the elder brother, but it is nothing compared to the capabilities they have together. Those two knocked Lord Satan off his feet! They are truly a magnificent opportunity to even the playing field. The balance has been swayed for longer than any of us have been around, demons traipsing around Assiah and tormenting your people, and now you have something else. Humans that could traipse around Gehenna!"

"You think these two could actually enter Gehenna?" The orderly asked.

"Ai," he said, his smiled twisting up his face.

"Let it not slip the mind of the Grigori that Pheles _is at heart_ a demon and could very well be playing us all with his tricky words."

"You should've stayed out of this," Shura hissed at Mephisto. He was tarnishing Yukio's image, putting a demon on the defending side of a half demon made it seem as if the demons had something to gain from Yukio living.

"Tsk tsk Ms. Kirigakure," He said, waving his purple gloved hand in her face.

"I won't keep Rin from burning you alive if you screw this up." Mephisto laughed but Shura's tone was anything but humorous.

"It can also be noted that Shura, the one who assumes responsibility of killing Okumura Yukio if he is overpowered by Satan, was responsible for disposing of the elder brother when she was undercover."

"We've addressed this already," Shura said, irritation growing in her quickly. "He wasn't behaving in any threatening fashion."

"Arthur, we trust you have no problem eliminating him if Shura fails to do so." The orderly asked. Angel's mouth twitched in, wanting to form a smile but needing to remain apathetic.

"My loyalty goes with the Vatican and their decisions," he said, almost in a recited fashion.

"We shall accept the possible consequence," the middle grigori spoke. "Okumura Yukio will continue to act with the Knights of the true cross as an exorcist and teacher at the Cram School."

"Be careful," Angel said, his parting words as Shura stalked ahead of the twins seemed almost sincere. As soon as they had opened the door Shiemi was anxiously looking at them, desperately trying to read their expressions.

"He's ok." Rin said. As he said it his shoulders lifted and his expression brightened. Yukio and Shura shared a look, _for now_, they communicated. Shiemi hugged the twins and the other kids smiled fondly.

"What's the catch?" Bon finally asked.

"There is none," Shura lied quickly. "I need to talk to you," she said, looking intensely at Yukio. "After I get a drink," she added, returning quickly to her lackadaisical self.

"Mr. Okumura," Tsugumi's small voice said. "Could I speak with you please," her dark hair framed her childlike face. He nodded and she took his sleeve, leading him away from the group.

"Those two would be an adorable couple," Shima said. "You and I would be too Izumo." Izumo and Shura both scoffed at the remark, but everyone turned their gaze to the teacher, surprised at her disdainful reaction. She shook her head and walked off.

"What's really going on Rin?" Bon asked. He could feel the weight of the situation hadn't lifted. Yukio was hard to read but his silence was a give away that all was not perfect.

"I don't know." He said honestly. He wasn't sure what to say. Shura had obviously lied to them for a reason, but he didn't fathom what it was. His forehead creased.

"All right don't think too hard," Bon said, slapping him on the back.

"Let's go get lunch," Rin suggested. "I'll cook!"

"Alright." Shima said.

"We do what Satan's brat suggests we do a lot," Izumo said, complaining as per usual.

"It's that or get burned, I mean did ya hear him?" Bon said, looking at Rin as he joked.

"How long are you guys going to crack about that?" He asked, smiling. He'd never had friends before, he always thought he was too cool for that, and it was nice to be a part of something. Shiemi's head bounced happily from beside him, he could tell she was just happy Yukio was ok. She'd been worrying herself sick. She yawned widely, realizing she hadn't slept the previous night.

"We should have a picnic to celebrate!" Rin yelled, his mouth taking up a good half of his face, grinning with excitement.

"A picnic or a camping trip?" Koneko asked.

"What?" Rin questioned. "We should hang out in our dorm again."

"That's a sleepover dummy," Izumo chided, but even she had a small smile on her face as they walked across the campus.

"Why are we walking anyway? We could've used a key since we're going to Okumura's place." They all stopped in their tracks and laughed at their absurdity. The sun was bright and the air was light as they laughed. Everything was going to be alright, they would all see the sun another day.

"Where's Tsugumi?" Shiemi asked, triggering a group wide left to right scan.

"Wasn't she talking to Yukio?" Koneko said.

"I don't really know you, but I can see already you don't talk to people." She said.

_"You should sit down and talk with her sometime, she has an interesting story,"_ Mephisto had written in his note when he introduced her to him.

"Would you like to come to my classroom?" He asked as the fifth or sixth person walked between them. She nodded and he pulled out a key, pushing it into the door. It fell with a heavy clunk and he pushed it open, revealing the dark halls of the cram school. The carpet softened their footsteps and the occasional coal tar swayed in the darkest corners of the halls. He looked to her, watching her brown eyes follow the coal tars around. "They won't really hurt you. Just don't inhale them."

"They're fungus possessed by demons. Right?" She smiled at him, her childlike face bright.

"Yes. You've been studying?" He asked her as he pushed open the wooden door.

"Miwa Konekomaru has been helping me catch up. Mr. Okumura?"

"Hm?"

"You're Satan's son."

"My brother and I are."

"You keep to yourself a lot. Rin is very... intense but you're reserved."

"You read people."

"My father and I spent a lot of time investigating people when I was little. He was trying to stop a demon himself, but she always managed to claim her victims." _She was plagued by a demon._ "Do you know why she always got her way?"

"Not specifically." As an experienced exorcist he had several guesses but he could see by her expression she was trying to emphasize something.

"Because she knew their weakness. She knew when she went to them their traumas and their pains, their regrets and the things they blamed themselves for. She targeted people like you."

"Ms. Shibata-" He tried to tell her he had heard this type of argument many times before but she cut him off.

"She convinced them she was helping them avoid their fears, and as payment, she claimed their souls for hell."

"Jigoku Shouju."

"How did you know that?" She asked.

"It's a myth that circulated the Cram School a while back, they called her the Hell Girl but no exorcist was ever able to find her."

"She doesn't want to be found by them. My father investigated it, wanting to stop her cycle, but she became violent when we interfered and she attacked us."

"That's not uncommon when demons are found out." He commented nonchalantly. The door banged against the frame.

"Just keep that in mind," she said as she stood. He slid his glasses off his face and pinched his eyes, mentally preparing himself for Shura's antics. She plopped herself down on his desk, sipping from her beer before she said anything.

"You've been Mr. ambiguous ever since I've known you but that's done now," her breath blew on his face, the alcohol stinging his nose and he sat back to get away but she grabbed his shoulder and kept him in her face. "I do not want to kill you so you're little I'm-going-to-keep-to-myself thing is over. You are going to talk to me because everyone is worried about your damn personality. You are a very strong person Yukio but you have got to get it through your thick skull that you're not alone." She released his shoulder and he fell back into the cushion of his chair.

"Shura-"

"I'll see you tonight four eyes," she said walking away already. He pushed his glasses back on his nose and saw she was looking back at him. She yanked her ponytail holder out of her hair, letting her wild pink hair fall behind her. "We're going to spend a lot of time together, and if you want me to stop calling you four eyes, show me you can see what makes you susceptible to demons." The door swung shut behind her and he laid back in his chair, looking at the dark spots in the dirty ceiling. He relaxed his shoulders and pulled his glasses off again.

"She won't let it be a problem you know," Shiemi said. Rin looked up from the food, her green eyes bright with hope. The food popped in the pan and he tended to it, a smile gracing his face.

_"I want to save him as much as you do!" _'She really did, she just didn't think it was possible.' He thought.

"She loves him," Rin said quietly. Shiemi giggled.

"You're alright Rin?" She asked. He nodded.

"Give me a hand bringing the food out?" He didn't really need help, but he knew she liked to feel useful.

Tsugumi walked into the room and sat down between Konekomaru and Shima.

"Oy where've you been?" Shura asked, sitting up.

"I was with Yukio."

"Mr. Okumura," Shura corrected. Rin stifled a laugh as he walked out. 'She's jealous,' he humored. She never called him anything formal. Her cheeks were slightly pink, matching the color scheme of her eyes and hair. She opened another can with a hiss.

"Where the hell did you keep all those?" Rin asked.

"These seals aren't just fer weapons kid!" She laughed, her bubbling humor lightening the atmosphere of everyone in the room.

'Yukio may not like the goofy side of her, but it really helps calm a guy down,' Bon thought. The kids chatted as they ate and Shura observed the youth. Shima was on his cell phone when Tsugumi threw a fork at him.

"Ow," he whined.

"Phones at the table is rude!" She said, her hand already on Konekomaru's fork beside her.

"That's rude too!" He cried, rubbing his head. She glared at him, her hand gripping the fork. He pocketed the phone and Izumo laughed at him. "What?"

"You just got owned!" Rin laughed.

"You're one to talk Okumura. Shura defended your brother, you didn't do anything," Izumo pointed out. Rin's head steamed as his glare bore into her. "Oh calm down before you burn is all."

"She joined us!" Shima said, jumping up enthusiastically.

"Sit down," she chastised. His face turned red and he sat down across from the purple haired girl.

"So Tsugumi, how'd you find the cram school?" Rin asked, his mouth spilling food onto the table as he tried to eat and talk at the same time.

"I heard some kids at school talking about a cram school. The director got me in. I don't really know much about exorcism."

"Are ye here to be an exorcist?" Shura asked. Tsugumi nodded, her face severe. Yukio walked in then, his face a little paler than usual. He waved hello to the students and took a seat near Shura. She turned to face him and the silence grew heavy upon the students. "This is adult business, mind yer own," Shura scolded.

"I have something to say!" Shiemi cried out, standing, her left hand on the table and her right hand twined with Bon's under it.

"What is it Shiemi?" Koneko asked.

"Well um, I just wanted to let everyone know," she trailed off, not quite sure how to finish.

"Shiemi and Bon are dating," Izumo finished, sounding bored with her cheek resting on her palm.

"The exwires are pairing up!" Shima said, his eyes on Izumo. Rin looked downcast, his expression solemn as he looked at the new couple. Shima put his hand on Rin's shoulder, sitting down next to him.

"It's alright man."

"I wanted to date her," Rin pouted.

"It's odd, I always thought she liked Mr. Okumura," Koneko said. Rin looked at him and the lack of a glare from satan's spawn showed just how upset Rin really was.

"Izumo won't even give me chance," Shima said, slumping down on the table.

'It must be nice, for your biggest worry to be who's dating who,' Yukio thought, looking at his saddened brother as he listened to Shura's quiet voice in his ear. In all his time trying to make exorcism and school work coexist, he'd learned how to quite adequately multitask several things. When he was a kid he used to have to utilize the skill of ignoring his fears, ignoring the demons he saw in every corner of his school, all the shadows of things no one else could see that made his skin crawl when he was only four years old: when he was a kid he had to learn how not to be a kid, he had to be a grown up. Everything that happened since he was born just made him feel like he aged four times faster than anyone else. He felt like he was sixty years old already, and Shura agreed with him. His stress was higher than ever but he wouldn't let his composure crack. He'd let that slip too many times in the past, and over trivial things. What would he do if he slipped over eight attacks from Satan if Shura throwing a beer can at his head made him lose his cool? He'd just received a call on his way back from the dorm about another attack, Shura was filling him in on the two she'd kept secret during his trial days, and they were trying to figure out why Mephisto hadn't told either of them about the other three attacks that were unaccounted for.

"Yukio you need to eat," Rin scolded, shoving hot food in his face. How long had it been since he'd eaten? He was so busy sometimes he barely had time to sleep, and when he had a break where he could eat he tried to nap. Shura took a plate from Rin's other hand, scarfing down the boy's delicious creation.

"Thank you nii-san," Yukio said, taking the warm plate.

"Okumura, we're thinking about starting a baseball game after dinner," Bon said.

"I'm in!" Rin shouted, his furry tail shooting side to side with excitement.

"You should play too," Shura said, pushing Yukio's shoulder.

"I have work to do," He declined. Shura huffed and stood up.

"Can I play?" Shura asked, winking at the teenage boys. Drool seeped from Shima's mouth.

"You are such a player," Izumo muttered rolling her red eyes.

"You know you're the only one for me Izumo." He gravitated towards her, his hands clasped in front of his face. She immediately regretted drawing his attention again.

"So we have Bon, Shima, Koneko, Shiemi, me, Shura-" Rin tried to do the math but even with the small numbers he became confused and shook his head, shaking the thought out of his mind and looked to Bon, "uh, do we have even teams?"

"Paku is going to play with us," Izumo said, looking up from her phone. Shiemi clapped her hands excitedly at the thought of being with their old cram school buddy.

"If Ms. Kirigakure plays then no." Rin spastically ran to his brother, tugging on his arm like a two year old and pleading for him to play with them.

"Please Yuki it'll be fun!" Shiemi said. Even with Bon's burly appearance his hold on her little hand looked gentle. Shura threw her arm over Yukio's shoulder, looking up at him, her eyes glowing pink from under her lashes.

"Come ooon, Yukio," She whined flirtatiously. He huffed and pried his brother off his arm and pathetically attempted to release himself from Shura's grip. He surrendered rather quickly, both to Shura having her arm on him and to playing ball with the other kids his age.

"Okay," he smiled, "it'll be fun." His glasses gleamed dangerously and Rin swallowed, wondering if it was such a good idea to have his brother play or not. The kids shed their school coats and Shura pulled off her exorcist overcoat. Shima took off his button up, donning a plain green tee shirt. The girls took off their sweaters and undid their ties, all the students letting loose in the cool air.

"Alright, team captains will be the Okumura twins!" Bon announced. Rin jumped up, fist pumping in the clear air. "Mr. Okumura, choose your first player." Yukio blinked several times, adjusting to the contacts that corrected his poor vision.

"Suguro," Yukio said, his white shirt buttoned low and blowing in the breeze. Tsugumi and Paku were talking in hushed tones from across the field.

"Mr. Okumura's really hot," Paku giggled. "You and Yukio would be so cute Tsugumi!"

"Huh? He's kinda intimidating," she said, her gaze falling across the browning autumn grass to where Shima stood.

"I thought you liked him, the way you stayed back and pulled him away to talk to him." Tsugumi's brow creased in confusion.

"I wouldn't get in Shura's way," Izumo said, walking up to the gossiping girls.

"Ms. Kirigakure?" Paku asked.

"Oh come on Paku," Izumo said. "She's totally crushing on him."

"Mr. Okumura can't stand her," Paku said. Tsugumi didn't know either of the two very well so she just listened to the exchange until she was summoned to join Yukio's team. Izumo tsked at her best friend.

"You know she just does that to keep his attention."

"Like you try and get under Shima's skin?" Izumo blushed furiously at her kind hearted friend.

"Izumoooooo!" Shima called from across the field. "Okumura kun picked you!" Izumo stalked over to Rin and stood beside him and Shura.

"I don't even want to play this," Izumo said.

"If you got into it you could have fun eyebrows."

"Alright, we have our teams. Yukio, Tsugumi, Paku, Shiemi and Bon are on one team, Izumo, Shima, Koneko, Shura and I are the other," Rin looked to Bon for conformation, to which he nodded. "Yes! Play ball!" Yukio put a ball cap on his head and twisted it backwards, his lean muscles tense as he stood in the outfield. Bon took his place on the pitchers mound, swinging his leg up and hurling the ball full force at the first one up to bat, none other than Rin. The ball exploded off the bat with a snap and was off in Paku's direction. Not wanting to dominate his team, Yukio allowed her to drop the ball and retrieve it, throwing it in to stop Rin at first base. Shima trembled slightly as his friend wound up for the throw, and in a reflex Shima threw the bat out, hitting the ball off the front. Yukio snagged the ball midair, outing Shima and threw it to Tsugumi, catching Rin before he made it to second base. "Damn you four eyes," Rin growled as he went back to the dugout. Izumo struck out without swinging once at the ball and Konekomaru hit a pop fly right into Bon's glove. The first point went to Rin's team when Shura went to bat, aiming the hit straight at little Shiemi and sending it flying over her head. Shura sauntered across the bases as the blonde girl stumbled around to catch the flying ball, tripping but catching herself before falling once.

"Nyah! Take that!" Shura laughed as the crossed home plate, going to the dugout to fetch a beer. Bon's eyebrow twitched in anger she'd been able to hit his straight. Takura wrote a one on Rin's side of the chalkboard from the sidelines and Yukio smiled to himself as a breeze brushed his bangs across his face.

"So this is what it's like... Being a kid," he said quietly to himself, noting that Shura looked right at home amongst the fifteen year olds. As they switched sides Shura stole Yukio's hat, plopping it atop her wild pink hair and winking at him, flaunting her duck face pose she favored so much. He didn't take it back from her, just took his place at home plate, wielding the bat expertly in his trained hands.

"Do you have to show off? We already know you're good at everything!" Rin hollered from the pitching mound. Yukio already knew how his brother would throw the ball, with all his strength and none of his skill. So predictable. Shura was behind him, playing the catcher, while Izumo, Shima and Konekomaru held outfield.

"Stop analyzing everything and just play," Shura said, smacking his butt with her gloved hand. The ball whipped right past him as he glared at the widely grinning woman wearing his ball cap.

"Strike one!" Rin called as he wound up for his second pitch. Yukio gave his half crazed smirk at his elder brother and struck the ball over to his rather incompetent teammates. Rin, the single man team, ran off after the rocketing ball as Yukio's slim form raced around the bases. Rin finally caught up to the ball as Yukio was rounding third. Screaming animalistically he hurled the ball to Shura and it popped right into her glove as Yukio slid in, raising dust so no one could see clearly the result of the play. Yukio's reddened face was the first thing that came back into view. The exorcists composure was completely broken, blush burning as the dirt settled and Rin, weak in the knees from laughing so hard, fell on his back in the grass.

"Safe! Barely," Bon called from a distance, eyeing Yukio's foot that had itself safely across homeplate, and Shura's hand that had narrowly avoided causing a disastrous injury between his legs. She smirked up at him, pulling up from the strange stance she'd taken to stop him from scoring.

"You look good dirty," Shura said walking off.

"What the hell was that?" Rin shouted at her. "You missed him!" He continued to rage dramatically as Yukio picked up his phone.

"Shura!" He called urgently. She flicked her head back to look at him and saw the serious expression on his face.

"What is it Yukio?" Rin asked, his curiosity piqued.

"There was another attack," his teal eyes hardened like blue zircon gemstones. "And he survived."

"Wha-?!" Shura exclaimed.

"We're to go talk to him," he said as he turned away from Shura, already pursuing the nearest exit. "Everyone, you don't get a chance to speak with a survivor of Satan often, so follow me. It'll be a learning experience." His fists were clenched by his sides, his biceps and shoulder muscles visibly flexing in the white shirt. Rin flicked his navy hair out of his eyes, watching his brother, trying to sense where his sanity was. Tsugumi tried to engage Rin but he didn't notice until she punched his arm.

"Ow," he whined.

"You're in a mood," she commented. "Satan's your father technically?" She asked.

"Yeah. Our dad was Shiro though. Satan killed him." Rin frowned, the memory of his father protecting him that last time softening his sapphire eyes. He grit his teeth to hold back the pent up emotions and Tsugumi frowned.

"Your family has a lot of problems," she said with her chin held up high.

"Eh?" Rin grunted unintelligibly.

"Who do you take after?" She asked him.

"Yukio says I think just like our mom did. I don't see the difference between human and demon, and I don't see why we can't get alone with them," Rin said, looking to the sky, watching the grey clouds descend on what had started out as a laid back day. "She believed in a single world, with demons and humans together, and Satan tried to create that when he possessed Yukio."

"Why did you stop him if you agree with your mom?"

"Because he was trying to force it together. He was going to put them together by dominating humans not by making peace with them. I don't know what my father's intentions are, my tiny brain can't guess why he's seeking another vessel when he knows he can just use Yukio, but I know for damn sure I'm going to protect my brother, my friends and my home from him."

"You're going to go against your own father?"

"If he tries to hurt any of my friends, I'll personally kick his ass back to Gehenna, or just kill him. Whichever works. My friends are precious to me, and so is my brother. He's the only family I have left. And who's gonna keep that Vatican from killing me if he's gone, Shura's a terrible guardian," Rin joked, trying to throw a light spin to a dark conversation.

"When I was a little girl, a demon tried to convince me to send my own father to hell. I'd lost my mommy because of an accident the demon tried to convince me was my father's fault. I could never hurt Hajime. He always wanted to stop her, and maybe I can learn how while I'm here," she smiled and he realized she was trying to fulfill her father's wish, much like Rin was. He was trying to keep living in a world he didn't belong in, just as Shiro had tried to do until the moment he died. Rin smiled at her.

"You're a tough little shit aren't you?" He asked her, remembering her violent outburst with Shima over a phone at the table.

"You're a trouble making shit aren't you?" Rin nodded bashfully.

"I get on my brother's nerves because I don't always follow orders, and he gets in trouble for it." The hall was dark and their feet left dirt trails from the baseball field on the already filthy carpet.

"Maybe that's not bad," she offered. Rin stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking at the repeating floral like deep and dark red and black passing under his worn leather school shoes, his chain on his pants swinging repeatedly through the air and beating back against his trousers, his tail flicking into his peripheral vision every so often.

"I just," he looked at her, "don't want anybody else to get hurt. I don't wanna lose anyone else."

"I know," she adjusted the pink clip she'd worn in her hair since she was a child and she and Hajime chased the shadow of the Hell Girl. "My dad was a reporter, he had a bad habit of letting things go. While we were following all these people, trying to save human souls, I learned that you never know how much time you have left with people before they leave, so you have to take advantage of it." Yukio had been listening to his brother talk to the way brunette girl. Her cherubic face so innocent and not at all a giveaway to the likely horrors she had witnessed before finding a sanctuary of people who felt the same as her, saw the same things as her, and had the same pains as her. 'Damn, she's just like me. Demons broke her youth. They stole the innocence of the world away from her at a young age. She's is trying to fulfill her father's purpose through her own life. She has every reason to hate demons, and she's talking to nii-san like he doesn't have a tail wagging behind him, pointed ears and fanged teeth. She doesn't care what he is, she cares who he is. Always defying logic,' he thought as they transferred locations via keyhole in a door.

"So who's it this time?" Shura asked him.

"Arthur Auguste Angel," Yukio said.

"Baldy?!" Shura exclaimed. "The hell?!"

"He's looking for someone powerful." Yukio frowned in the glowing antiseptic white of the hospital hallway, his teeth grinding together in frustration. 'Why can't he just leave us alone... Hasn't he done enough?'he asked himself.

**So here ya are, this is a really long chapter. The Academy kids will be back in the next chapter, I was trying to put them back in this one but it always seemed too forced so it just had to wait :( *sob* we all miss stein. **

**Rin - the hell we do!**

**Oh hush up**

**Rin - he wanted to dissect me!**

**Maybe I'll let him. I'm writing a note leave me alone.**

**Anyway, yeah. If you want it updated sooner, just leave a review, I'll see you guys in a little while!**


	12. Exorcists,Demons,Meister, Weapons,Angel?

"He's looking for someone powerful." Yukio frowned in the glowing antiseptic white of the hospital hallway, his teeth grinding together in frustration. 'Why can't he just leave us alone... Hasn't he done enough?'he asked himself.

"Loosen up man," Shura said, peering at him from the corner of her eye, deliberately trying to direct his anger towards her instead. "Come on, giving yourself an ulcer ain't gonna help anything." His teal eyes looked at her, she froze in place at the glare that was colder than ice. Without the glasses she noticed just how beautiful his eyes were, she never noticed with his glasses in the way. 'What do you know four eyes, you can surprise me,' she thought, the warmth in her heart reheating the rest of her frozen body.

"Nii-san," Yukio called, not even looking behind him to his brother.

"Wah?" He murmured.

"Behave," he said coldly.

"I'll show you behaving," he growled, raising his fist at his brother's back.

"Rin!" He snapped, still not looking at his brother as he grasped the steel handle. Rin huffed, blowing his hair out of his eyes. Yukio walked in first, but Shura stayed behind, making sure all the exwires went in, and then grabbed Rin by the hair and pulled him aside.

"Are you trying to piss him off?" She asked, hands on her hips.

"He treats me like a child!"

"You act like a child! Leave him alone alright? He's got a shit ton of stress and he don't need yer help getting premature grey hairs. Come on," she grabbed him by his neck much like a dog would grab a puppy and led him into the hospital room.

"What happened Arthur?" Yukio asked, eyes focused on the bandaged exorcist in front of him.

"Okumura," he rasped. His boiled skin peeking out from between the bandages, black burns peeling up from his flesh. His blonde hair was melted together in mats at the ends and his jaw bone was singed, his beautiful face marred forever. "This.. is your fault. He's coming," his blue eyes bled anger at the boy.

"I need to know anything Satan communicated to you Angel." His eyes narrowed at Yukio.

"He wants Assiah. And he's not stopping... until he gets it."

"Arthur calm the hell down. This isn't Yukio's fault," Shura scolded.

"It is," he said, pushing himself up in the bed. His white coat bled red as a wound in his shoulder reopened. A nurse bustled in, pushing him down and injecting something into his IV.

"I need you to leave," the nurse said, eyeing Yukio in particular, as he seemed to be causing the disturbance.

"Well that was a waste of time," Bon complained as soon as they got out the door.

"It-," Rin started but his voice faltered. He swayed to the side and his tail hung limp behind him. The hallway was glowing in his vision, the colored carpet swirling like a whirlpool. His throat burned and his body jerked, throwing red into the swirling mix.

"Nii-san!" He heard a voice call, but he felt as though he were hearing it through water. His body felt weightless and the carpet turned so that it was on the wall and he could feel the coarse fabric against his face. He cried out when his stomach felt like a hot iron and been plunged into it, curling into a ball and gripping his shirt.

"What the hell?!" Shura cried, her voice high and her pink eyes frightened. Yukio threw his keys at her.

"What's happening to him?" Tsugumi asked, her mouth wide with horror.

"Get Mephisto. Now!" He yelled, sensing this was something ordinary doctors could not mend. Shura ran off, her hair flowing out behind her with her speed. Yukio felt his brother's icy forehead and cursed. Blood trickled from his mouth and the demon child whimpered, his tail clenching at his pain. Rin shivered on the gorund as Yukio picked him up, cradling him in his arms. His arms were hot against Rin's cold body, making the demon feel like they were burning his skin and he squirmed in his brother's hold.

"Rin," Shiemi whispered, tears falling from her emerald eyes as Bon put his arm around her.

"Stay with me Rin!" Yukio said, his voice trembling. He held his brother closer in his arms as he ran to an empty room, trying to tighten his fists enough to stop their insistent shaking.

"Yuki." Shiemi stood up stiffly, following the brothers. Yukio had taken off his jacket, laying his brother on the bed and strapping him down to restrain his convulsions.

"Nii-san," Yukio said quietly.

"Yuki!" He spun around, his eyes blazing he looked at Shiemi. His tear streaked face resembling that of a child without his glasses. "Nee!" She said, Yukio turned back to his brother, tuning out the little girl's pleading with her familiar. Yukio took a syringe from his belt pack and ripped the protective covering off the needle with his teeth, squirting out the air and plunging it into Rin's bulging vein.

"Y-yukio," Rin said, his blood stained teeth clenched at the pain.

"It's going to be all right nii-san!" He said, his voice fast and intense. Rin's gums were blue, his whole body turning a monochromatic scheme of violet blue. "It's like he's been poisoned," Yukio said to himself. 'That's the only way this could've happened so fast.' "Shit." He knew he should've been watching him better... This could easily have been the Vatican, or _Satan_. How did he not see it before... Shiemi thrust her hand in Yukio's face.

"Have him eat this!"

"What is it?"

"It's a Gollum." Yukio's brow creased, her childish names for things did not translate easily for him. Rin convulsed again and he grabbed the ball from Shiemi's hand.

"Nii-san," his brother wasn't listening. His eyes rolled back in his head and his body shook the bed, red foam leaking from the corner of his mouth. Yukio clenched his jaw and put his hand in his brother's mouth, pushing the medicine down his esophagus manually.

"What the hell are you doing?!" A doctor called from the hallway. "Security!" A officer rushed in as Yukio retracted his hand from his brother's still throat. He grabbed Yukio by the arm, twisting it behind him and roughly shoving his face into the cement brick wall, his weight as leverage against the boy's shoulder.

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be held against you-," Yukio wasn't listening to the cop. His eyes were on his brother, on Shiemi crying at his shoulder as he lay still, still trapped to the hospital bed. The doctor that had called security went over to his brother, checking his pulse, his heroic stature deteriorating as he couldn't find Rin's pulse. Yukio's fighting skill kicked in as his emotions seized his body. He kicked off the wall, knocking the cop off balance and gave a quick jab to his shoulder, the cop's arm falling limply against his side. Yukio pulled another syringe from his pack and stabbed the cop with the tranquilizer. His heavy form crumpled and fell to the ground on his face. Yukio's malevolent glare turned on the doctor as he grabbed the handcuffs from the cop's belt, stalking over to the doctor he trapped linked his wrist to the wall and gently shut the door.

"You keep quiet or I will shoot you," Yukio threatened, pulling his gleaming black gun from the holster, pointing it at the doctor, his smile twisted sideways in a way that struck fear into every cell of the doctor's body.

"Yuki!" Shiemi yelled, snapping him out of his trance. He shot up and ran to his brother. He kicked a lever on the bed, knocking it down and leaned over his brother, trying to resuscitate the demon. His bangs stuck to his sweaty forehead as he performed compressions in a desperate manner. A crack echoed through the room and Yukio winced, knowing he had probably broken his brother's sternum. As a trained doctor he knew what he had to do.

"Shiemi, go look for Ms. Shura," he said calmly. She nodded and peeked out the door. "Come on nii-san, come back," Yukio whispered as he pinched his brother's nose, tilted his chin back and pushed air into his brother's lungs. Shiemi turned back to see what he was doing and her face burned scarlet upon witnessing the drastic measures Yukio was taking to save the brother everyone was so certain he hated on some level. The mattress squeaks and the huffs of breath were the only sounds in the dark room. Yukio panted as he beat Rin's heart, trying to make it beat, tried to make his lungs breathe. Yukio spun around the room, grabbing the defibrillator from the wall and ripping Rin's shirt open. "Wake up Nii-san!" He urged as the device charged. He pressed it against the demon's skin, jolting his body upwards as the electricity flowed through it.

"Yuki-Yukio," his brother sputtered. Yukio's eyes were wide as Rin sat up and began coughing, gagging as Yukio removed the rest of the restraints. Shiemi grabbed the trashcan from by the door and gave it to Rin as he vomited into it. A thunk fell to the bottom of the can and Yukio's eyes narrowed as he put a glove on. When Rin finished, he stuck his hand in and pulled out the heavy object.

"Holy silver bullet," he said. The stench of green apple hung around the piece of metal. His mind flashed, recognizing the smell as something that had come from a candy, a candy that Tsugumi had been sharing with everyone before the game. 'Rin must have just digested the coating, and the silver began eating it's way through his organs.'

"Yukio!" Shura called as she burst through the door. The doctor cowered in the corner as the tall demon and endowed woman entered the room. Mephisto walked over to Rin, wordlessly gripping his chin and pouring the contents of a vial down his throat. The liquid burned as it went down and Rin coughed as it singed his throat.

"What are you doing?" Yukio asked.

"It will help him heal." When the fire left one area and moved on to the next Rin realized it was acting like a phoenix, finishing off the damaged tissues and giving rise to fully repaired cells. "My my young Okumura, you sure did some damage here," he said, his purple eyes focused on the petrified doctor. "Eins, zwei, drei," he said, his voice serious. The doctor collapsed to the floor and Mephisto removed the cuffs. "Shall we go?" He asked. Rin tried to sit up as Bon walked in.

"Sit down," he commanded, his voice gruff as he walked over and pulled the demon onto his back. "You about die five minutes ago and you're already trying to get back on your feet." Rin smiled at his friend's complaining, knowing it was his own form of affection, of showing friendship.

"Mephisto," Yukio said, wiping his mouth on his arm, blood trailing the pale skin. "What's going on?"

"That's something I would like to know myself. Let's get Okumura back to his room, then we'll talk." Yukio scowled as the headmaster turned his back on him. Shura bunned up her hair and followed the procession out the door. The kids took a key back to Rin's dorm. Shura Yukio and Mephisto took a path to the headmaster's office. He sauntered across the room, taking a seat behind his massive desk and lacing his fingers together under his chin. "Ai. Come here," he said. A girl, the age of no more than fourteen walked from the side room, a room Yukio and Shura didn't know existed, much less where it went or what it did. She had brown shoes and black stockings going up her pale legs. Her bracelet jingled as she walked, the bell on it jostled by her swaying arms. She wore a white shirt with the academy tie, her long, dark hair standing stark contrast until it reached the black of her skirt, the difference between hair and fabric becoming indiscernible.

"My name is Ai," she said, her small mouth barely moving as she spoke, her bright red eyes following Yukio as she walked from the left side of the room to the center, not once blinking or breaking contact. Her black hair framed her pale face, hanging to her chin in layers and then cut across at her eyebrows for her bangs, the rest hanging well below her shirt line, flowing sleekly as she moved.

"Ms. Kirigakure could you take her to the twin's dormitory, all of the exwires will be staying there until further notice due to recent events." Shura turned sharply without saying a word to the girl, knowing she was being sent out and showing she was pissed about it. Ai followed her, the ends of her black hair the last thing Yukio could see of her as she glided through the doorway.

"A new student at a time like this?" Yukio asked, his arms folded across his chest.

"Most interesting chain of events don't you think." Yukio pulled the bullet from his jacket and dropped it on Mephisto's desk.

"This is what Rin had."

"Holy silver bullet. Most dangerous for a demon."

"He ingested it." Mephisto tried to hold his laughter but burst, cackling until he nearly cried with amusement.

"My my I didn't think the boy was that ignorant." Yukio's frowned deepened.

"It was hidden in a candy that was given to him." Mephisto's laughter cut off.

"I wonder now, where did he get it." Yukio's hair rose in anger and Mephisto looked at him. "But you already know that don't you. Nothing gets past you my boy."

"Tsugumi was handing them out right before we were called to see Angel in the hospital."

"Shibata?" Mephisto asked. "Oh I don't think so," he put the bullet close to his crooked eyes. "Is this one of yours?" Yukio was startled. He hadn't thought to check that. He used a unique hand gun, one his father had specifically chosen for him because it was light weight and perfect for use with an ambidextrous wielder. He took out his gun and retrieved one of the death pellets, comparing it to the one Mephisto held delicately in his palms, even with gloves on his demon flesh.

"It is one of mine."

"So whoever did this, had access to your supplies. Ms. Moriyama perhaps?"

"She wouldn't. She cares about Rin far too much," Yukio replied icily.

"Shura perhaps? She certainly could get ahold of your ammunition with her training as a Japanese Ninja."

"Mephisto that is enough of your accusations. Where did you get her?"

"She's a friend."

"It's awfully convenient my brother is attacked just as you personally admit two new students from out of nowhere. One that seems to have taken a particular interest in my brother and myself," Yukio accused, remembering how Tsugumi has stayed behind to talk to him, how she'd had a rather personal discussion with Rin, how it was her that had the candy that nearly killed Rin.

"Are you insinuating I'm at fault?" He asked, almost challenging Yukio to flat out accuse him.

"I'm just saying it's suspicious. And the way you blame my students and friends."

"You've said yourself you don't like Shura Kirigakure, and the supply shop owner's daughter is just far too convenient."

"I may not like her antics but I would never accuse her of treason."

"I see." Yukio sensed he wasn't getting any more from the demon and he turned on his heel, walking out.

"He doesn't trust you."

"Can't you do anything right Amaimon?" Mephisto scolded.

"Sorry brother."

"If he's dead he can't rule Gehenna. You know Lucifer is planning to attack our father. Rin has to be there to take Satan's place as King of Gehenna."

"Why does Okumura have to rule?"

"Because Lucifer is planning to merge Gehenna and Assiah the same way father is. With violence. They don't understand the balance the world must live in. Besides Rin, there's no one who could defeat him, he's the most powerful demon king apart from Satan. Even if the other seven of us managed to fight with him we'd still need Okumura."

"I see."

"Anyway, you failed me. It seems if I want something done right I simply must do it myself. I'm not quite as cunning as Medusa was," he trailed off.

"Mr. Okumura!" Tsugumi cried from the hall. He turned his gaze slowly towards her, his veins burning with hate. His irises contorted as his mind processed the conversation he had heard.

"That son of a bitch," he muttered. He walked towards her, distancing himself from the demon he wanted to kill. "What do you want Shibata?"

"The candies... They weren't mine."

"What?" He asked sharply.

"They were a gift."

"From who?"

"Konekomaru."

"Come with me," he stalked off, shoving a key in the door and emerging in the dormitory he and Rin shared. "Miwa Konekomaru," he said loudly, walking into the cafeteria where the students were gathered. Ai's red gaze turned slowly towards him, a fleeting glance before she turned back to Shiemi.

"Mr. Okumura?" Bon asked, standing in front of his friend.

"Where the hell did you get that candy from?"

"Calm down Yuki!" Shiemi said. He glared at her and she sat back down, partially hiding behind Bon.

"Yukio what the hell is wrong with you?" Shura asked.

"My brother, was almost killed because someone gave him a holy silver bullet masquerading as a piece of candy. Tsugumi said she got it from you!"

"Okumura sensai," Konekomaru started before Bon cut him off.

"You don't have to explain yourself to him," he growled.

"The hell he doesn't!" Yukio yelled. Shura walked over to him and slapped him across the face.

"Yukio look at yourself."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Mr. Okumura," Koneko said. "They arrived at my door. It had a note on it... said it was a gift from the director. The one that was given to Rin, was separate from the others. He said it was a weird flavor because Rin's a demon and to just give that one to him. I'm sorry."

"Mephisto? H-He gave it to you?" Yukio rubbed his forehead. All the details were far too confusing. Mephisto had said he needed Rin alive, so why would he poison him? Was that what he was mad at Amaimon about? Did he do it for Mephisto? "I'm going upstairs," he said quietly. Shura watched him leave, dramatically sighing before chasing after him.

"Those two, are so weird." Shima said.

"What are we doing for dinner? Okumura is out right now?" They all stared at each other. They were lost without Rin...

He was in the bathroom, his hands gripping the icy countertop when Shura came in. She handed him a pair of glasses and he nodded in thanks, removing the contacts.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Why would Mehpisto try and kill Rin?"

"Maybe he didn't."

"You trust him?"

"I don't trust him. I just know that there are plenty of demons who have it out for the brother that left them for Assiah. He could've been framed."

"I heard him talking to Amaimon. He said they needed Rin to rule Gehenna. He was angry at Amaimon for messing something up, he did something that nearly cost Rin his life. I think it was Mephisto. I think he told Amaimon to poison Rin so he could come in and save the day and gain more undeserved trust and he messed it up and nearly killed my brother."

"That's a stretch Yukio..."

"This whole situation is fucked up!" He said, walking out of the bathroom, his hands twined in his hair. He plopped down on the bed, dropping his head into his hands. She sat down next to him and brushed her fingers through his hair.

"It's going to be alright. You and Shiemi saved him."

"Mephisto tried to blame you," he said, his voice small.

"He knows I don't trust him. I have no doubt he's up to something, but I don't think he's the one that orchestrated Rin's poisoning." He laid back, looking at the ceiling with his arms behind his head. "It's gonna be alright Yukio," she cooed. 'What does that damn clown think he's doing...' She twisted different webs of ideas around in her head, trying to understand a culprit, a motive, anything, but she wasn't getting anywhere. She looked to Yukio, saw his pale face smooth of worried lines, his mouth open slightly as he slept. She took his glasses off and laid them on the table, gentle rearranging the boy in his bed and putting the covers on him. She opened his closet, taking one of his shirts and buttoning it up, removing her own scanty clothes in favor of the soft cotton shirt that smelled of Yukio. She sat down on the other bed in the room for a few minutes before thinking, 'Oh what the hell.'

It was bright. And it hurt his eyes. His stomach whined that he hadn't fed it in awhile and he turned over. A pair of big red eyes met his blue ones and he jerked back. He knew two people with red eyes: Izumo and Soul. She was neither.

"Who are you?" He asked. 'Where the hell is my sword?' He wondered, trying to look around for it discreetly.

"My name is Ai."

"Yukio?!" Rin yelled, wanting an explanation from his brother. 'This is one way to wake up after nearly dying,' he grumbled internally. "Hehe, I'll be right back." 'Does she ever blink?' He wondered as he rushed out, feeling her eyes on his back. He stopped suddenly, walking back into the room. She was looking down at her hands, her black hair covering part of her pale face. 'She's really pretty.'

"You're back," she said, looking up at him from underneath her long eyelashes.

"Do you wanna come with me instead of staying here alone?" She stood up, graceful as water she followed him. He wandered to the cafeteria, but he didn't see his brother there. "Huh. Where the hell is he." He wandered the various levels of the dorm, left to right, Ai following silently behind him. "I'm Rin," he said when he realized he hadn't told her his name.

"You're a demon?" She asked, her lips barely moving as she spoke the words. He nodded.

"I'm the half human son of Satan. My brother and I both are. I'm just the dangerous one though."

"You don't seem dangerous." He could hear snoring from the room they approached.

"You stay in the hall," he said, not knowing if Yukio would be decent or not. He walked into the room casually and saw his younger twin's glasses sitting on the side table. "Wake up four eyes!" Rin yelled, his regular energy and excitement restored.

"Wha-?" Shura said, her wild pink hair sprouting about in every direction as she rubbed sleep from her eyes.

"Shura?!" Rin screeched, jumping backwards. "Where's-?" He started when Yukio sat up, his hair in massive disarray.

"Sleep well?" Shura asked, winking at him.

"Did you two?" Rin asked, pointing at the two of them.

"What do you think?" She said and his finger shriveled back to him. He stood there for roughly three more seconds before sprinting out of the room, grabbing Ai and swinging her up to carry her in his arms so he didn't have to stop for her to follow him.

"Shura why did you do that?" Yukio asked as she fell backwards on his lap laughing.

"Cause it's funny!"

"Why are you in my bed?"

"You don't remember?" His face burned red and she cackled. "That your first time?" She giggled as he robotically got up out of the bed and walked silently out of the room. "He is so uptight."

"How could he not tell me?! What the hell is wrong with him?!" Rin muttered angrily to himself as he fixed breakfast for himself and Ai. "That fucker..."

"Hello, nii-san," Yukio said, his face pale as he walked into the room. Rin ran out there, a pan in each hand as he raged.

"When the hell did you get together with Shura?!"

"I'm not."

"Lie to me again and I'll beat you with this fucking pan little bro." Yukio gulped. His brother was not joking around.

"Seriously I just went to sleep and woke up and she was there."

"Cut the shit Yukio we know you like her!"

"I do not!"

"And she likes you so just get on with it!" Rin yelled as Yukio denied his feelings for Shura.

"Wait what? She likes me?"

"Oh. My. God!" Rin yelled, dropping the pans on the ground so he could violently hit his brother on the back of his dense head. "She was practically hostile towards Tsugumi for just talking to ya four eyes."

"She doesn't trust her. This is all very suspicious." Rin huffed and muttered under his breath. "What did you say?"

"You're a dumbass!"

"I am not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"You're dumb Rin!"

"I know you are but what am I?" Rin taunted, sticking his tongue out childishly.

"Why you-"

"She does like you," Ai's gentle voice said. "I can see it."

"Told you! She's been around ya all of a day and already knows she likes you."

"Who likes the chicken?" Shura asked as she walked in, still sporting Yukio's button up shirt.

"Wow you got some bed head," Rin said.

"It's Yukio's fault," she said. Rin's spine shivered at the insinuation she gave.

"Like hell it is!" He yelled.

"Oh come on, you enjoyed yourself."

"Shut up this is my little bro we're talking about!" Rin said. "He's too innocent for this." Rin covered his brother's ears.

"You're more innocent out of the two of us nii-san," Yukio said.

"What?!" He screeched.

"Yukio's got his big boy pants on now," Shura teased.

"Ok what the hell did you two do?!" Rin asked, fingers pointed at them, his tail stuck straight up.

"Nothing," Yukio said.

"Banged," Shura said at the exact same instant. Rin wailed like an injured puppy.

"I'm supposed to be the cool one!"

"Nii-san you said it yourself, I only kissed her when Shiemi dared me too. That's all," Yukio said, trying to talk the demon down from his jealousy.

"You've only kissed a girl?"

"You really think chicken's got balls?" Shura laughed.

"You said you'd stop calling me that."

"Nuh uh!

"Besides, you haven't really even kissed a girl cause truth or dare doesn't count." Rin said, crossing his arms triumphantly.

"So you two are actually even," Shura said.

"Ah hah! It's a miracle!"

"This school is weird," Ai said.

"Surprise!" Mephisto said dropping in. "Oh my, are you two engaging in coitus?" Yukio glared harshly, something Pheles didn't even seem to notice.

"Good morning," Tsugumi said as she walked into the room.

"What do you need?" Yukio asked shortly.

"My my quick to the point are you youngin. Since Satan has recently opened attack on our high profile exorcists, I have arranged with Lord Death to have his young meisters return to aid us on our missions. Since Satan has avoided you directly young man you will be in charge of the students along with Ms. Kirigakure. You will all be staying here and they will sit in on Cram School classes during the day. Enjoy!"

"So now I have high school, teaching, babysitting Rin, my job as an exorcist, watching eight Academy students, watching over Shura and her responsibilities she doesn't do and am taking over even more missions. Fantastic."

"Somebody needs a vicadin," Rin said.

"Or a less disobedient older brother!" He snapped back, still retaining most of his composure.

"Hello?" Maka called from down the hall.

"And so it begins," Yukio said, a warped smile on his face. "Rin have you done your homework yet?"

"What homework?"

"You have a test tomorrow nii-san." Rin cursed.

"I forgot." Takura entered the room, his pink puppet focusing it's button eyes on Ai in a creepy fashion. He took a seat by himself in the corner of the room, far from everyone else in there.

"Well, I was going to give you the day off to recover but you seem full of energy so you'll be going to school today." Yukio went up the stairs to put fresh clothes on. Shiemi and Bon came down together, holding hands, Shiemi's face alight with happiness.

"Good morning Rin!" Shiemi said. He waved half heartedly at her.

"You look down Okumura, you still not feeling well?" Bon asked.

"Oh no I'm alright!" He tried to run into the kitchen but was grabbed by the collar.

"Liar." Bon said, calling Rin out. Rin hung his head, prepared to confess his feelings for Shiemi when he was hit by what felt like a brick wall.

"What the hell was that for?!" He raged. When he saw the white hair and red eyes he shook his head, the anger fleeing and a face cracking smile spread across his face. "Soul!" He called.

"Okumura!" Black Star yelled, "you didn't forget a big star like me did you?"

"Black Star!" Rin yelled, running over to his newly made friend.

"Rin!" Soul and Black Star wailed, running to Rin.

"Oh god why," Maka said as she walked in on the bromance scene.

"At least they aren't trying to kill each other this time," Tsubaki said. Rin, Soul and Black Star collided in a three way hug, hugging each other so tight their eyeballs threatened to pop from their sockets.

"Alright let's keep it Pg-13," Izumo said.

"Huh? Who's that?" Maka asked, looking at Tsugumi.

"I'm Tsugumi Shibata. Nice to meet you," her head tilted sideways as she smiled widely at the plain blonde girl.

"My name is Enma Ai," Ai said, appearing beside Tsugumi, her red eyes wide as she took in all the new faces entering the room.

"Well, I'm Maka, and the creepy one is my partner Soul. This is Tsubaki and Black Star is the other guy hugging Rin. This little guy is Crona," she said as the pink haired child slid into the room. "This is kid."

"Hello there."

"His partners Patty and Liz."

"Hi!" Patty drawled.

"And Ragnorak," she said as liquid seeped from Crona's back and hardened into a bulging eyed monster.

"Well I'll be damned she's actually pretty!" Ragnorak said, stretching away from Crona to get closer to Ai.

"Who's that?" She asked as Spirit and Stein finally made their entrance.

"Maka's creepy dad and his meister," Soul said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, breaking the hug from Rin.

"I'm going ahead to school Rin. Don't be late." Yukio said as he passed through the kitchen area. "Hello everyone," he acknowledged them but did not pause.

"Talk about cold." Rin said. Tsugumi's eyes followed Yukio out the door, watching him with worry.

"What's up with Teacher?" Soul asked.

"Satan made an attack recently and it's got his panties in a twist," Rin said like it was no big deal. All of the Academy students stared at him, the weight of an attack from Satan falling much heavier on their shoulders than it did on Rin's.

"He's paranoid that's all," Shura said as she walked down, donning a girl's uniform skirt white button up and her usual exorcist jacket. "I'm sure you guys all know you're attending class with us today so I won't remind you," she winked as she walked out the door.

"I see she put on clothes this time," Maka commented. Shima stumbled down the stairs then, bags under his eyes from having just awoken.

"Well if Shima's up we should be heading on to school too," Bon said, knowing his friend never got up a minute earlier than he needed to. The atmosphere was light as the kids started their day, exchanging the dingy interior of the old dorm for the dingy interior of the cram school.

"Why is everything around here so dirty?" Black Star asked.

"The Cram School isn't a very high profile place. We're the only ones training to be exorcists at this time. It's actually kind of a secret place, so not much effort goes into upkeep. As far as the dorm it's just old so Rin doesn't burn a bunch of money if he burns it down," Bon explained.

All the kids took seats at desks in pairs: Bon, Shiemi; Soul, Maka; Black Star, Tsuabki; Kid, Patty; Rin, Ai; Crona, Liz; Shima, Izumo; Konekomaru, Tsugumi; Stein, Spirit and then Takara by himself. Shura was seated on Yukio's desk.

"Mr. Okumura will be here in a minute," she said, her legs swinging freely below her. They could hear commotion in the hall outside, voices raising but only faint mumbles passing through the walls. When Yukio walked in he already looked worn down and the day had barely even started.

"Good morning," he said. "Today we will be reviewing for the test tomorrow. I encourage you to study in groups, this is one of the most challenging tests you'll take in this class."

"Crap. I already don't do well," Rin said.

"We're all in the same dorm, maybe we could just group study?" Shiemi offered.

"I can help," Maka offered.

"Nerd," Soul said. Maka took a dusty book from under the desk and cracked it on Soul's head. "Ow." Yukio cleared his throat from the front of the room.

"Any questions before we get started with review?" He asked. "There are a couple of you that really need a good grade on this test in order to pass this class, so I suggest you put some serious time into studying if you haven't already."

"Who studies ahead of time," Rin asked rhetorically.

"People who want decent grades," Bon said.

"Some of us just aren't smart," Rin said, sinking into his chair.

"Some of us just don't try very hard," Bon countered.

"Excuse me, could you do that after class? I know for a fact you should be paying attention to this Rin," Yukio said, his glasses glaring as he eyed his brother. "Maybe even take out paper for once," he suggested, his voice implying it was more of a demand than an option. "Alright, so the first topic for this test was pharmaceuticals that excel in treating demonic infections. You'll want to be careful with this chapter because there are many similar sounding names, and you will have to know how to correctly spell each one as well as define it's most suitable use and a specific infection the specific pharmaceutical will actually accelerate instead of stop."

"That was really cool!" Maka said as they left the class.

"Are you kidding me? It was awful!" Rin complained.

"You're the one who has a test on it tomorrow," Maka said.

"Don't rub it in!"

"So are you going to study?" She asked. Rin flipped his hair back.

"That's way too boring. I'm an in the field kinda guy. I don't do chained to a desk." Maka facepalmed.

"Black Star is the same way. Maybe you two could find a way to study together," Tsubaki said.

"Yeah, by not studying!" Black Star and Rin said together, high fiving at their similar idea.

"Those two are hopeless," Maka sighed.

"You're telling me," Yukio said from beside her. She jumped at his voice, not realizing he had followed them out.

"M-Mr. Okumura! I didn't see you there."

"It's hard isn't it, having some people who don't even have to try and still excel?" He asked her.

"My father is absolutely useless yet somehow he's a death scythe and I can't manage to make Soul a death scythe no matter how hard I try."

"Rin's always been able to do things I can't. He's a better fighter, has better morals, and he got Shiemi motivated to become an exorcist. He could be a better exorcist than me in no time if he tried."

"Before Crona was on our side Soul and I tried to fight him. I was weak and Soul nearly died. He still has a scar from protecting me. From then on all I wanted to do was become stronger, so no one else could get hurt. I tried and tried but my work seemed to just send me backwards, and then Black Star just conquers everything easily even though he's an absolute idiot. I know the frustration."

"I was a cry baby as a child. Rin always bailed me out, beat up kids twice his size and got my stuff back. He always defended me. When my father first approached me about becoming an exorcist, he said Rin was going to need protecting one day, and he wanted that to be me. All I've wanted to do since I was seven was protect my brother, become stronger so he didn't have to fight my battles for me."

"I guess even though we're from different places we're a lot alike huh," she said, smiling gently.

"Maka get up here!" Soul called.

"Coming!" She said, jogging to catch up with her weapon partner.

"You're looking tense as usual," Spirit said to Yukio.

"Spend another few days around my brother and you'll see why."

"He's a handful I'm guessing," Stein said.

"You have no idea."

"Lord Death was pretty scarce with details, what's been going on up here?" Spirit asked.

"Satan attacked our Paladin, someone tried to kill Rin, and Mephisto has some plot involving my brother."

"Quite an instigator," Stein said. At that point they were entering the cafeteria and Yukio broke forward to debrief everyone.

"Starting tomorrow students will be participating in exorcism missions unsupervised. We will divide you into four or so groups composed of both Academy and Cram School students to complete daily missions. Tonight just get settled in and," he turned his focus to Rin, "my students will find it in their best interest to study for tomorrow's exam. Also, room assignments are on the door."

"Room assignments?" Rin asked.

"I wonder if they'll split us up," Maka said, looking to Soul.

"Well," he said, standing up, "let's go see."

Tsubaki - Shiemi = 110

Maka - Izumo = 120

Soul - Rin = 210

Black Star - Bon = 320

Shima - Kid = 310

Liz - Tsugumi = 410

Crona - Konekomaru = 220

Patty - Ai = 420

Takara = 115

Spirit - Stein = 315

Shura = 415

Yukio = 215

"Oh geeze, they put all you three on the same floor," Maka said, pointing to Rin, Black Star and Soul's names.

"Along with your brother," Black Star said, his face sour.

"Don't make fun of him."

"Don't get your panties in a wad," Black Star said.

"Nii-san," Yukio called. Rin flinched, knowing it was probably nothing good that his brother wanted.

"Yo Yukio," he said when he walked up to him.

"If you would make dinner for everyone, and only use the things we bought at the grocery," he said gently.

"O-ok!"

"Oh and Rin, don't forget to study."

"I could help you study," Maka said from beside him.

"Thank you for helping him Ms. Albarn," Yukio said, smiling innocently as he walked away.

"You don't even study exorcism Maka," Soul said.

"So? I can still help him study."

"Geeze you're lame," Black Star said, high fiving Soul.

"Why don't we all study together. We could play a game," Maka said.

"A game?" Rin asked, his tail wagging.

"Excuse me Mr. Okumura," Maka said, her boots hitting the ground heavily as she ran into the hallway after the teacher. "Do you have some paper and scissors I could use?" Yukio looked at her, confused but nodded.

"I have some stuff in my room you can look through," Yukio said, leading her to the second floor. He unlocked the door and held it open for her. The room was clean, a dark blue blanket over the bed the only personal touch to the room. She looked to the adjacent bed and gasped.

"Ms. Shura!?" She cried as she saw the teacher laid back on the bed, her pink hair falling off the side.

"Shura? What are you doing in here?" Yukio asked, his voice curious but not impatient towards her for once.

"Looking fer you," she said. "You wanna go to dinner with me tonight?" Yukio stared blankly at her. "I asked but you don't really have a choice," she smiled cheekily and stood up from the bed. "Meet me at my room, and change. You look stiff." She walked out, skirt swaying with her practiced movements.

"What... just... happened," Yukio asked himself quietly.

"Mr. Okumura?" Maka asked, knocking him out of his reverie. He swung open the pale wooden doors and reached to the top of his closet for a box.

"Here you go. Just leave it by the door when you're done."

"Thank you sensei!" She said, running out the door happily with the box of craft supplies.

"This day is all kinds of odd," he said to the bland tan walls. He looked to the window where the sun was setting, throwing out reds and pinks across the sky, dancing with the clouds as the sun sank further towards the horizon.

**Yay! We've got the Academy kids back and are ready to have some fun. Hope you are liking it, please review, It's getting harder for me to find time to write this stuff but I'm definitely going to keep it going, it just may be a little slower update pace cause I get really stressed out when a lot is going on. I do like to write and when ya'll show interest I'm like ah come here twins I wanna write about you!**

**You're so creepy! - rin**

***glares***

**Yukiooooooo! - rin cried.**

**Studying - Yukio called. Rin ran up the stairs. Love you guys thanks for all the support with reviews and faves and follows! See ya soon!**

**Lifehouse fanatic 2011**


	13. Problems at home? A last goodbye?

"Rin, you go cook dinner while Maka sets up her game," Bon ordered. "Shiemi, Tsubaki, Izumo, Ai, and Tsugumi you go help him."

"Hai!" They all said in agreement, following Rin to his domain.

"How come Okumura gets to go with all the girls," Shima whined.

"Shiemi - peel potatoes. Tsuabki - cut carrots. Tsugumi - fry eggs. Izumo - help Shiemi with the potatoes. Ai - cut peppers. And I... will face my nemesis," Rin said, pulling an onion out of cabinet.

"Um Rin? How many should we cut?"

"Bon!" Rin yelled.

"I thought you could handle cooking Okumura?"

"I can't handle giving directions. Tell them what to do." When Bon left each of the girls had a task and was hard at work peeling, cutting or frying something. Ukoback was stewing some sort of meat in a large pan, tossing in different spices, and Rin would come over and talk to the squeaking demon.

"Flavoring cube?" He asked confused. "Why would I use that?" Ukobach squeaked. "My flavoring is delicious!" Rin defended. "Oh, ok." He smiled.

"Can he actually understand that?" Tsubaki asked.

"Mm. Rin thinks demons have telepathic capabilities. He understands Kuro too," Shiemi said.

"They can read each other's minds?" Tsubaki asked.

"No. Rin's just weird," Izumo said. "Huh?" She turned around, hearing sniffling from the other side of the room. Rin wiped his face with his sleeve.

"I hate onions!" He shouted, his face distraught and weeping as he dropped the last one into the pot. "Burn in stew demon vegetable! Eh?" He turned, seeing every one of the girls staring at him. "What?" Shiemi and Tsubaki were the first to laugh, and eventually even Izumo joined in.

'Why do I have to change? These clothes are clean,' Yukio thought as he scanned his closet. He took out a pair of jeans and plain white tee shirt. He looked at the outfit, and shook his head. He traded his black trousers for light jeans and donned the white tee. He took a black button up from the shelf and put it on, not bothering to button it over the white shirt. He walked to the bathroom and saw a note taped to the door.

_Leave the glasses. You've got pretty eyes - Shura_

"When did she put that there?" He wondered, peeling the note off. He crumpled the note in his hand, throwing the curly letters into the trash. Trading his glasses for contacts and his work shoes for a pair of converse like shoes he pocketed his key and shut the door behind him with a click. He took the flight of stairs up to the third floor, glaring at the cobwebs in the corners as if he thought he could frighten the arachnids. He knocked on the door he's assigned to her himself, checking his phone as he waited for her to answer. The door opened and the phone was taken from his hand before he even looked up.

"No work tonight kid." She said, tossing it in her room and shutting the door, ignoring the protests he gave. Her quarter sleeve black dress fell halfway to her knees and left little to the imagination with the plunging neckline. She had on strappy black shoes that, coupled with the length of the dress, accented and lengthened her already long pale legs. Her hair was pulled around to the side in a hair tie, flowing over her shoulder and curling it's way between her left arm and her body. She looked beautiful. She laced her arm in his, pulling him towards the stairs. "Cat got your tongue?" She asked, looking sideways at him. He still held a height advantage over her and she had to look up to see his face.

"You look very nice Shura," he said formerly. She grinned at him and then watched her step as they descended the stairs.

"Gotta tell the babies to behave," she said as she led them into the cafeteria.

"Who's ready to play _INFECTION_?" Maka asked, her tone and gestures mimicking something spooky as she said the name. "Oh... hi teacher!" She said, shying up as she realized there were adults present.

"I thought I told you to study nii-san," Yukio said, his eyes narrowed at his brother.

"Actually we are studying," Maka said. "I made up a game to try and help Rin and Shima study."

"Well, we're going out. Stein's in charge," Shura said, knowing that of the two Academy teachers Stein was by far more intimidating. Rin looked them up and down twice, his eyes focused on Shura's arm linked with Yukio's before he understood.

"Whoa like a date?!" He shrieked, falling backwards in shock. Yukio put his hand on his face. His brother never ceased to baffle him: both with his good moments, and with his ignorant ones.

"Sure sure whatever," Shura said. "If ya'll don't pass the test tomorrow we'll haveta get Stein to dissect your brains and see why you can't study," She called over her shoulder as Yukio held open the front door for her. The door clicked shut and all eyes were on Rin.

"Is your brother dating her?" Soul asked.

"Who would've thought she'd go after Okumura sensei," Shima said, his mind clearly still focused on her attire.

"Yuki and Shura are so cute!" Shiemi shrieked.

"It's weird. She's older than him," Izumo said.

"Stop spoiling everything!" Bon yelled, his angry voice blowing the girl's purple pigtails out behind her. Shima put his hand on Izumo's shoulder.

"If everyone's matching up maybe you and I should get together."

"Don't touch me," she said, her red eyes focused harshly on the pink haired boy.

"Okayy," Maka intervened. "Are you ready?" She asked.

"Um. How do we play?" Rin asked tentatively.

"It's a trivia game. Like hang man. You get a question and you have eight tries to get the answer right before the infection will destroy you. If you don't know the answer you have four choices: call someone, look at someone else's answer, choose save, or take a card. Cards can save you without a catch, or have a question you have to answer to get saved." She took up a marker and wrote on the board the exorcist names. "Whoever wins, gets a prize."

"We all can tell already it's gonna be Bon," Shima said.

"Hell I'm not even in this class and I could beat Rin," Black Star said, cracking up with Soul.

"I'll kick your ass," Rin growled. Tsubaki sat with her hands over her mouth and everyone could sense the situation was one wrong step from exploding.

"Like you could!" Black Star taunted. Rin took on a kneeling stance, his red bag crumpling to the ground.

"Black Star," Tsubaki said through her fingers, trying to calm his competitive tendencies.

"They brought us here cause you guys can't even handle your own town!"

"Watch your mouth kid," Bon said.

"Why else would we be here," Soul said.

"Soul!" Maka chided but as usual he ignored her.

"Your brother can't handle his responsibilities so we're picking up his slack," Black Star said.

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Rin growled. Ai sat passively on the table, watching the exchange but not participating. Liz was hidden behind her sister, afraid of what would happen if Okumura burst into flames and Patty was wide eyed chanting fight.

"Patty what are you doing?" Kid asked.

"I wanna watch the pretty blue!"

"Rin stop it!" Shiemi cried but her plea was useless.

"Hehe Bon let's not start anything," Shima said, trying to pull Bon back down to a seated position. His stance was rigid and unyielding as he glared at the DWMA kids, specifically Black Star.

"They insulted _our_ school and _our _teacher," he turned to look at Shima and the look he gave made the pink haired child retract his hand towards his body. "They're going down." Shima sighed and assembled K'rik from his jacket, knowing Bon was past the point of no return.

"We all know I'll be down in five seconds but alright. I'm with you." He aimed K'rik at Black Star.

"Maka chop!" Soul crumpled forward, a huge dent in his head. "You're scaring Crona!" Crona sat in the corner, rocking back and forth.

"I don't know how to deal with friends fighting like this. I don't know how to deal with the boy with the tail either, he spouts fire," Crona said to himself frantically. Maka went over to him and comforted him.

"Tsubaki, enchanted sword mode," Black Star said, his eyes on Rin. Rin drew his sword, the room glowing with blue light, his white shirt billowing with the flowing demon energy.

"Black Star stop it," Tsubaki said, not moving from her kneeling position on the ground.

"Fine. I don't need you," Black Star said. "I'll beat you myself!"

"What are you doing Black Star?" Stein said from the doorway. Black Star squealed, remembering the incident with the super written exam.

"He wanted to fight Rin again," Kid said.

"If you two fight in here you could destroy the dorm. How about you do something productive with your energy and study for the test with them. Since you aren't in the Academy you should still learn something," his glasses reflected light, his smile evil as he leaned against the doorway, his shirt one with his body.

"What!" Liz yelled.

"No fair!" Patty cried.

"I won't be studying," Kid said, thinking somehow his knowledge as a grim reaper would somehow carry over in exorcism.

"It's amazing isn't it. They can be friends one minute and at each other's throat in another," Spirit said as Stein walked back through the dark hallway.

"I knew Black Star wouldn't take losing very well. We could have a real problem on our hands if they can't coexist here."

"If you guys think you're so much better than us let's see who does better on the test tomorrow," Bon said.

"Let's make this interesting," Black Star said darkly. "If we win, then you two dumbasses go out on a date!" Black Star yelled pointing at Izumo and Shima.

"And if we win," Rin said, watching Black Star mischievously. "You two have to go one a date!" Also pointing to Shima and Izumo.

"Hey!" Izumo cried. "What are you doing Okumura?!"

"Cut the crap eyebrows, it's obvious you like him so why don't you just admit it," Black Star said.

"Why is everyone calling me that!" She shrieked. Black Star and Rin high fived, grasping each other's hand tightly between them. "Did you two plan this?" Rin smiled innocently and shrugged. Izumo glared at him, her red eyes glaring and her face dark. She took out her seals, prepared to set her familiars on Rin when Shima spoke up.

"You really don't have to Izumo. I don't want you to be mad at me," Shima said, for once his face downfallen. Her face softened as she looked at the player-monk showing a deep emotion for once.

"This is a terrible way to ask a girl out," she said, arms crossed, looking over her shoulder at Rin and Black Star. Soul had crawled over, his head finally retaking a normal shape, and thumped Shima on the back.

"Ask her out you dumbass," he mumbled, his face in the floor.

"Will you go out with me Izumo Kamiki?" He asked. She turned back towards him, her mouth turned up in a gentle smile and her red eyes warm like the setting sun in the Summer instead of burning with hate or anger like hot embers.

"Where are we going Shura?" Yukio asked as they walked out into the crisp night air.

"We're going to dinner." They walked down the sidewalk, still arm in arm, the moon bright overhead. A cold breeze went by and chilled Shura's bare skin. Yukio noticed they were still linked and they pulled away bashfully, both refusing to acknowledge they'd enjoyed the contact. Her blonde bangs swooshed across her face as she walked, the tips passing in front of her eyes. The streetlights cast a glow on her natural pink color scheme, their shadows following behind them. Insects were hiding away from the cool night air and it was quiet apart from the occasional cricket chirp and the leaves ruffling as they were parted, brushed together by the wind.

"Did you have somewhere in mind?" Yukio asked, his hand brushing against hers, the sensory information running to his brain like a gentle wave of warm water, beautiful and pure, refreshing and warm. She pulled her hand to her face, brushing the hair out of her eyes, her fingertips warm against her face and her heart beating a little faster, her cheeks a little darker, and her breath a little quicker.

"Awh man!" Rin cried in anguish.

"What's wrong Rin?" Shiemi asked.

"You're with Bon, Izumo and Shima are together, and I don't have a date."

"None of us are dating," Maka said, referring to all the Academy students.

"Well..." Black Star said.

"What?!" Rin shrieked, his face as if he had just peed his own pants.

"Officially anyway," Maka said, her cheeks red as she twiddled the toes of her boots as she stood.

"Alright. Who is it!" Rin pointed the scabbard around at the Academy students. "Even my kid brother is hooking up!" He fell backwards, the sword clattering against the ground as he dropped it.

"Geeze he's a moron," Soul said.

"I'm still gonna kick his ass," Black Star said confidently, gazing at the demon playing dead on the ground.

"I wonder who's dummer, Black Star or Rin," Kid thought.

"Hey!" Rin cried, sitting up from the cold tile on the white floor.

"That's really gross Rin," Kid said, looking at the various debris stuck to Rin's back. "That floor is nasty." Rin stuck his tongue out at the grim reaper. "How old are you?" He mocked.

"How old are you," Rin mimicked. Bon put his hand to his face.

"Shouldn't you study Rin?" Bon said, interrupting his childish game.

"Rin," Ai said, appearing behind him suddenly, slightly startling the unobservant fifteen year old. Everyone stared at the smaller girl, listening to her quiet voice none of them had heard all night. "Let's play Maka's game." She didn't smile, she didn't frown, she didn't express any emotion.

"Let's start with Bon," Maka said. "You have a air based spore inhaled by a child. What do you treat it with?"

"Alright, what's your favorite color?" Shura asked from across the table.

"What?"

"What's your favorite color," she said, enunciating each syllable carefully. The dim lit room darkened their faces, brightening their vibrant eyes, and casting shadows across the area.

"Why are you asking?"

"I wanna know," she folded her hands under her chin, her bangs darkening half her face as she looked at him, waiting.

"I like pink." She threw her hands on the table and laughed at him before sobering up.

"Wouldn't have expected that from you ya straight arrow."

"What's your favorite color?" He asked her in return.

"Eh I don't really have one. But I like the color of yer eyes." It might have been her imagination but she swore his cheeks tinted towards his favorite color. "What's your favorite season?"

"I like winter."

"Cold just like you are," she smiled at him, teasing the boy.

"It's when I was born," he said, his eyes taking focus on something far off, the smile that crossed his face one of fondness. "Rin and I went there after the incident. Where our mother had us, and where she died. Where Shiro was supposed to kill me and my brother. And Rin flipped logic on its head and saved our lives, laughing in the face of death, showing though he was clad in flame he was a baby no different from myself, no different from a human."

"He's an anomaly," Shura said, shaking her head, remembering her time with Rin in the great cell.

"He sure is."

"Did you love Shiro?"

"Yes," he said. She waited a moment, seeing if he would elaborate and tilting her head when he didn't. The restaurant was quiet, mostly empty except for the odd couple, the dark wood of the table giving off weak reflections of each of their intent faces. The carpet scuffed about Shura's bare feet as she swung them back and forth under the table, knocking into Yukio's a couple times.

"Do you miss him?"

"He was my dad, of course I do."

"Satan's your dad too." Yukio glared at her. "But I know what you mean," she added, reducing the anger in his expression.

"Gah!" Rin shrieked as Maka drew another tally mark under his name. "I want a wicked wango card!"

"That's your third one already," Soul muttered.

"Shut up!" He growled. Rin had been on the brink of death three times, the wicked wango card miraculously saving his game life since he didn't know any of the answers. Black Star was already dead, and Soul wasn't far behind Rin. The tension between the contestants was high, the room as if it were filled to the brim with gas and all it needed was a tiny spark to set it ablaze. Black Star huffed as he stood up.

"This is way too boring. I'm going to our room."

"But Black Star you need to study," Tsuabki warned.

"A big star like me doesn't need to study! I'll pass it no problem!"

"How the hell do you put up with him?" Rin asked, already at ends with the Academy student.

"He's very supportive and hard working, he just doesn't like to study," Tsuabki said, speaking fondly of her partner.

"Honestly we wonder the same thing most of the time," Kid said as Patty pulled his hair into odd arrangements.

"Makaaaaaa," she started to say and Rin flinched, covering his head and cowering from her. He'd already received the Maka-Chop a couple times for not paying attention and he did not want to have it happen again.

"Stop amusing me!" Rin said.

"What?" Maka asked. "I don't understand."

"Stop hitting me! It's amuse," he rubbed his head tenderly.

"Abuse. Amusement is like entertainment."

"Which this game is not," Soul said and Maka reared her book, ready to strike her weapon partner. "You're going to destroy my brain cells."

"What brain cells," Maka said.

"Maka," Crona said. "I don't know how to handle all these new things." Maka snapped out of her anger, tending to Crona immediately as a mother would comfort a child.

"What is wrong with that kid," Konekomaru said quietly to Shima.

"They're weird kids," Shima said, remembering Kid's issue with symmetry also.

"You're one to talk pinky," Soul said. "You flip the hell out over an ant."

"They're evil!" Shima cried, animating his limbs dramatically. "They're planning our doom I know it!"

"When did you sleep last?" Bon asked Shima.

"Oh. I dunno."

"Maybe you should go sleep Shima," Maka offered, wondering about the strange monk.

"Freedom!" He shouted, bolting up the stairs and to his room.

"That little shit," Rin said, knowing Shima had overdone his bug fear in hope of being relieved from the study session.

"Wow. No one expected that from him," Bon said.

"He doesn't seem very intelligent," Liz said, messing with her cuticles.

"And you do?" Shiemi asked innocently.

"Excuse me?" She looked up from her nails, glaring at the wide green eyed girl.

"Back off," Bon growled, stepping in front of Shiemi.

"Get the fuck away from my friends," Rin took place in front of Bon.

"Why do you always have to act like the cool one!" Bon complained from behind the demon child.

"Sister!" Patty cried, jumping up from behind Kid and going to defend her sister as it was now a three on one staring contest. Takara had slipped away at some point, and Soul was standing up, prepared to get between Rin and the Thompson sisters.

"Soul! Don't start fighting!" Maka criticized.

"You're gonna just stand by while he burns them?" He asked, looking back with his red eyes. Smiling at her confidently, knowing what her response would be.

"Right." She held out her hand and Soul morphed into a scythe.

"Ragnorak," Crona said in a monotone voice, a black swirl flowing through the air and hardening into a sword. Tsugumi looked on helplessly, not knowing how to even begin aiding either side, Izumo didn't care about the petty disagreement, not getting up from her seat on a table, and Tsubaki stood by her side, rendered useless with the absence of her meister. Ai had taken a side though.

"Ai?" Rin asked as she stepped in front of him, Konekomaru taking the rear behind Shiemi.

"Care to try dying once?" She asked ominously in her childish voice. Her words visibly startled Maka.

"I'm a Grim Reaper, I control death not you girl," Kid said, gripping his twin pistols in his upside down grip.

"Oh stop it!" Izumo said, flipping her bangs back. "You're all just cranky and need to go to sleep. Face it, Rin is an idiot and isn't gonna pass no matter what you do, and Bon has studied before now, this is pointless."

"At least I'm trying to help!" Maka yelled, the purple haired, small eyebrow girl not even acknowledging the Academy meister.

"Seriously you guys?" Spirit said from the hall. Stein hadn't even bothered to come break of the idiotic fighting. "Go to your rooms. If you absolutely can't stand your roommate you can room with Stein."

"Why are they always threatened with Stein?" Rin asked.

"You're threatened with your own brother," Maka said. "Talk about lame."

"Leave him alone," Bon intervened.

"Ryuji," Shiemi said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Rin," the instant her hand touched his skin his anger was gone, it was like she had a neutralizing effect on him. With Rin's aggression falling out of the atmosphere the hostility dropped, Maka relieved her weapon and Kid disarmed himself.

"It's like the madness," Maka whispered. "Poisoning everyone."

"What is it Maka?" Soul asked, ever observant of her.

"Nothing," she smiled. 'No need to worry everyone about Kishin here. At least not until I figure this out some more.'

"Why do they fight so much," Shiemi said to herself as she changed into her light pink night kimono. It was silky against her skin and she let her blonde hair fall out of her side ponytail.

"I'm sure it will be alright," Tsubaki said. "Black Star just doesn't like losing. He lost to Kid when they first met but look at them now." She smiled, her eyes closing as she let out her black hair for sleep. She put on a plain pair of yellow capris and a pale yellow tank, her dark hair breaking the color much like a pastel bumblebee.

"Rin just.. wants to protect his friends. Yuki always makes him feel bad about it but he has good intentions."

"Why does he make him feel bad?"

"Because sometimes Rin endangers other people trying to protect his friends. Yuki says Rin can't discern what's necessary from unnecessary."

"Oh. Well, I guess you can say something similar about Black Star. He always goes to unnecessary lengths to beat more opponents. He and Mifune, a samurai, fought three times because Black Star was determined to beat him, even though he was nearly killed the first two attempts."

"A samurai? Ms. Shura is a female ninja."

"Maybe our schools aren't so different after all. I was able to convince him to become a teacher at the Academy."

"Shiro had Ms. Shura join true cross. I don't really know how or where or even what she is."

"She likes Yukio though."

"Everyone but Yuki knows that," the two girls giggled. "Will you be my friend?" Shiemi asked, a little less intensely than usual.

"We are friends silly." Shiemi's cheeks flushed red and she nodded. She was happy. "Are you ready for your test?"

"Mm! Ryuji helped me study."

"You guys are really cute together."

"Yeah. He's was a little intimidating and scary when I first met him but he's like a big teddy bear now."

"He seems to really care for you."

"Black Star seems to care a lot about you also. Is there something going on with you two?"

"Oh no. Black Star is like a brother. He's always protected me and respected my privacy. He's dating a girl at the Academy, her name is Jackie."

"You're really pretty. Are you dating someone?" Tsuabki blushed at the compliment.

"I'm actually with Mifune," she said shyly.

"The samurai!? Isn't that scary?"

"The only reason he fought Black Star was because he was protecting a young witch. To become a death scythe you have to have 99 Kishin egg souls and one witch soul. Black Star didn't listen long enough to realize the witch was a child. Mifune was her guardian, so before Black Star knew she was just a little kid he was intent on beating Mifune and eating her soul." Shiemi gasped. "I suppose our witches are much like your demons. Most of them are bad, but sometimes you have those that surprise you. Like Rin and the Witch Angela. She did kick Black Star once though," she laughed.

"I can understand why," Shiemi said, knowing how irritated Rin had gotten. "He has a lot of personality to handle."

"That's a polite way to say that."

"You're very nice. I like you Tsubaki."

"I like you too Shiemi." They shut off the light, darkening the bland room. The moon reflected in the cold tiles on the floor from where it shone in through the window. Shiemi turned towards the beige wall, smiling as she fell asleep against the soft pillow, her blonde hair billowed out around her like a corona and her green eyes closed, her mind at peace. Tsubaki twirled her hair around, pulling it around her shoulder so the long hair didn't get tangled up as she slept. She folded her hands under her head and looked at the boring colored wall, her blue eyes still wide even though it was late. The black hair framed her pale face, her blanket tucked up under her chin, wrapping her snuggly. After a few minutes of reminiscing of her home at the Academy, of Mifune and her weapon partner Black Star, her blue eyes closed and she slipped into the unconsciousness.

Maka tied the white caps on her pigtails, removing her plaid skirt, trenchcoat and shirt, folding them neatly and setting them on the pale wood side table. Izumo had left the room to change, rather impolitely in Maka's perspective. She put on her yellow flannel pajamas and went to turn off the light when Izumo came back.

"I need to study," she said, turning the light back on.

"You could've studied earlier with us," Maka said somewhat shortly, her cushioned house shoes protecting her feet from the icy tile. Izumo stood in a pair of shorts and a large sweater type shirt, her feet bare and her hands on her hips. Her hair was fixed in a ponytail and he red eyes were undeterred.

"Like that game would've helped."

"What is your deal?!" Maka said, her voice intense and angry. She was quickly losing patience with this girl's absolutely arrogant attitude. 'She acts like she's so much better than everyone else. Black Star is like that sometimes but even he isn't this damn irritating!' Maka thought.

"You're the one yelling dummy."

"We didn't have to come here and help you people."

"We didn't need your help."

"_Obviously_."

"Don't you think you're top notch. In case you forgot, Ms. Shura kicked you guys' butt! You just have your panties in a wad cause you feel like a rescue crew, but you're no better than us we just needed more people!"

"You didn't even do anything fighting Stein! Ooh look at me I have foxes!"

"And what are you? Crazy lunatic scythe swinger?"

"At least I'm strong enough to fight on my own I don't make other people do it for me!"

"You have to have strong will to make demons work for you!"

"Oh _my_ I bet that's _sooo_ hard. You need strong will to control Witch Hunter and Genie Hunter too, and you have to have physical strength."

"That's hilarious. You're as frail looking as I am."

"I'm stronger than you!" Their foreheads were near touching, Maka's fists were ready to fly when Izumo just backed away, swinging her ponytail to the side and putting her hand on her hip.

"You Academy kids are so easy to rile up." She sat down, wiggling her body under the navy throw and taking out her Demon Pharmacology book.

"Coming from queen temper tantrum," Maka muttered as she laid down in her own bed, squinting her eyes and trying to fall asleep despite the glaring light in the room.

"Why do you look like a demon?" Rin asked Soul. Soul shrugged, not really paying attention. "What's your last name?"

"Eater."

"Seriously?!"

"Sure."

"I'm Okumura. I don't know where it came from, my mom was Egin and my dad was Fujimoto. I can't wrap my head around that."

"You aren't very bright are you."

"And you are? I heard you didn't do so hot on your exam, at least I passed my exwire authorization exam."

"That test was uncool."

"Maybe it's cool ad you're not cool."

"Least I have a girlfriend."

"Low blow man," Rin said, flopping onto his bed.

"Why do you care?"

"I liked Shiemi, and she's dating Bon. So it's a little sore," he said into his pillow, the pillow fibers getting in his mouth as he spoke. He sat up, trying to pull each pillow piece off his tongue. "And now Ukio'sss dating Sshura," he said, still holding his tongue in his hand. Soul smacked his hands, his tongue falling down onto his chin before he slipped it back in his mouth.

"So Satan's attacking the world and you're biggest worry is girls."

"I know what I'm going to do with Satan. I don't know what to do with girls."

"What are you gonna do? Get killed?"

"Maybe. I'm protecting my friends no matter what. If that means I get killed to protect them then fine. Satan just can't run around destroying my precious friends." Soul smiled creepily, his sharp teeth gleaming in the light. He took off his jacket. Rin looked at him, eyes wide, not knowing what the boy was doing. Soul pulled his shirt over his head, revealing the scar that stretched from his hip to his shoulder. "What the hell man?"

"When we first fought Crona."

"Whoa you fought that kid? He beat you?"

"You haven't seen Crona's madness. The only way we beat him was falling to the madness ourselves. Almost couldn't bring Maka back from that."

"What's madness?"

"It's kind of like losing your consciousness, losing all fear, and you become this crazy death machine. Maka is a lot like you. She flips reality on its face. Beat Crona, let's go hug him and make friends." Soul smiled at his feet. "She's a hell of a girl."

"So what happened with the scar?"

"I got in front of Maka and shielded her from one of Crona's attacks with my body. Stein stitched it all up. Took me awhile to recover."

"I use myself as a shield, but I heal really fast. Still pisses Yukio off though."

"Maka was pissed for a long time after I got hurt. They're only mad because they care." Rin smiled, knowing his twin would do anything to save Rin's own life. He knew he'd go as far as sacrificing himself in Rin's place, and he did take Rin's place once, when Egin was trying to open and destroy Gehenna. "My last name is Evans."

When Bon walked into the room Black Star was hanging from the top bunk doing countless sit ups.

"I'm going to sleep." Bon said gruffly, turning off the light before Black Star could respond. There was a crash as Black Star fell to the floor.

"Hey rooster! Who the hell do you think you are?!" He shouted. Bon turned back on the light and stalked over to the child, grabbing him by his shirt and holding him up by his scowling face.

"Listen you little shit. I have a test tomorrow. I'm going to sleep. Shut your loud mouth, or I'll kill you." He released Black Star and he landed on his feet. He was startled for a second before he responded to the scolding.

"You can't kill a big star like me! I'll destroy you!" He was pushing himself in Bon's zone and he was fuming.

"Little man syndrome," Bon muttered. Black Star punched him in the face, knocking the streak haired teen to the ground and sending him flying to the other side of the room. Bon spit blood to the floor as Black Star guffawed about. He smirked, blood on his teeth and stood up, walking to Black Star. Oblivious to the exorcist above him, Black Star continued to gloat about his "success." The next thing he knew Bon had tied him to the bed, keeping him from being able to get up.

"What if I have to take a leak?"

"Piss yourself." Bon growled, flopping over in his bed so he could go to sleep.

"Are you scared?" Shura asked from across the table. Yukio was quiet. "You are." He looked up at her, removing his gaze from the table.

"I'm not scared for me." His eyes wandered back down. "When you despise yourself, you tend to not care whether you live or die or not. You just can't stand to take others down with you."

"You don't care if you die?"

"No."

"You don't care about how Rin would deal with that?" She looked at him, waiting for an answer but he didn't even look at her. "You don't care about how I would deal with that? Your students?" She sat back against the seat, relaxing into the cushion. "You really are dense."

"What?"

"You mean a lot to many people. You're strong, smart, careful and controlled. I don't know a more capable exorcist out there to be honest. Maybe more brute or more rude, but not a more capable one."

"We should probably be heading back," he said, not sure how to respond to her comment. She was acting strange. Very strange. And he didn't know how to deal with it. Yukio's phone went off and his face went white. He grabbed Shura's wrist and pulled her out of the restaurant. They were running, near flying down the street.

Stein and Spirit were waiting for them when they got back to the dorm, a group of sleepy and angry kids behind them.

"Have you told them?" Yukio asked Stein, not even winded from running.

"Not yet."

"I'm afraid you must go back to the academy," Yukio said, looking at the visiting students.

"A witch has attacked our school," Spirit said, his eyes obscured by his hair. "And Lord death has fallen."

**Alright well, that's really all I've got. Hope you all liked it! I had more planned but it was just more blue exorcist centric and wasn't a cross over so much as a guest appearance so I decided to scrap the rest and move on. Thanks for all the support! **

Lifehouse Fanatic 2011


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